TWO SHILLINGS



Captain cSro.noto's

Celebrities



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ANECDOTES



OF



CELEBRITIES OF LONDON AND PARIS,



TO WHICH ARE ADDED



THE LAST RECOLLECTIONS



OF CAPTAIN GRONOW,



FORMERLY OF THE FIRST FOOT GUARDS.



A NEW EDITION.



LONDON:
SMITH, ELDER & CO., 15, WATERLOO PLACE.

1870.



CONTENTS.



Almack'a in 1815, ....

The Duke of Wellington and the Cavalry,

The Duke at Carlton House,

The Duke and the Author,

Wellington's First Campaign, .

The Guards and the Umbrellas,

Colonel Freemantle and the Duke's Quarters,

A Word for Brown Bess,

A Strange Rencontre, ....

English and French Soldiers on the Boulevards,

" Date obolum Belisario,"

"Hats off,"

Hatred of the Prussians by the French Peasantry,

Severe Discipline in the Russian Army,

The Emperor Alexander in Paris,

A Fire-Eater Cowed, ....

An Insult Rightly Redressed, .

A Duel between Two Old Friends,

A Duel between Two Officers in the Life Guards,

Fayot, the Champion of the Legitimists,

The Gardes du Corps, ....

The late Marshal Castellane,

The late General Gabriel,

Admiral de la Susse, ....



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VI



Contents.



Marshal Lobau, .

Montrond,

Chateaubriand, .

Parson Ambrose,

Captain Wilding,

The Church Militant, .

Louis XVIII., .

The Bridge of Jena Saved,

Louis XVIII. and Sosth&nes de la Rochefoucauld,

The Due de Grammont,

The Montmorencies,

Ouvrard the Financier,

Madame de Stael,

A Feminine Foible,

Mademoiselle le Xormand,

An Ominous Fall,

Louis Philippe and Marshal Soult,

Decamps and the Duke of Orleans,

Fashion in Paris,

Literary Salons in France,

Sir John Elley, .

An English Dandy in Paris,

Sheridan and the Electors of Stafford,

Sheridan at Drury-Lane Theatre,

Shelley's Fight at Eton,

Epigram by Canning,

Mr Canning and Lord Lyndhuryt,

Crockford's Club,

" King " Allen, .

Ball Hughes,

Scrope Davies, .

Thomas Moore, .

Francis Hare,

Theodore Hook, .

Cosway the Painter,



I'AOK

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Contents.



vn





PACK


Martin Hawke, .......


102


Lord Normanby, ......


103


A Mother in Israel, .......


108


Equipages in London and Paris — The Four-in-hand Club,


108


Kate North, ......


114


Sally Brooke, ......


118


Madame Grassini, .....


120


Piety of Madame Catalani, ....


122


Miss T and the Perverts, ....


123


Rachel's Debut, ......


124


Rachel and Judith, .....


125


Rossini, .......


125


Pio Nono's Flight to Gaeta, ....


128


Sudden turns of Fortune in France,


. 132


Parisian Cockneydom, .....


135


Improvements in Paris, ....


140


French Criminal Jurisprudence,


143


The Paris Insurrection of 1848,


147


French Statesmen and Journalists in 1851 —




M. Guizot, ......


. 151


M. Thiers, ......


. 152


Lamartine, ......


. 153


Prince Louis Napoleon. ....


154


The Coup d'Etat—




State of Public Feeling in Paris, .


156


The Prince-President, ....


157


M. de Morny, .....


159


The Night of December 1,


160


The Arrests, .....


163


Paris on December 2,


165


Louis Napoleon at the Elysee,


. 168


Reception of the Prince-President,


. 171


Alarm of the Parisians, ....


. 172


The Legislative Assembly,


. 174


The 3d and 4th of December,


. 177



Vlll



Contents.



The Coup d'fitat — continv.td.

What the Author Saw,

Groundless Fabrications, .
Camp Life during the Peninsular Wa;
A Foraging Party on the Adour,
General Sir Warren Peacocke, Governor of Lisbon,
Frank Russell at the Battle of the Pyrenees.
Hunting in the Pyrenees, 1S13, 1814, .
Dysentery in the Peninsula,
A Daring Exploit,
My Soldier-Servant,
Sir Thomas Styles,
Sir John Elley of the " Blues,"
Jack Talbot of the Guards,
"Teapot" Crawfurd, .
The Guards' Club,

General Thornton and Theodore Hook,
The Heroic Lady Waldegrave, .
Colonel, alias " Jemmy," Cochrane of the Guards,
Mr Cornewall and the Provost-Sergeant,
Arma Virumque Cano, .
Sir Jerry Coghlan,

Lord Jersey and an Officer of the Guards,
Lord Castlereagh and Sir E. Pakenham,
Louis Philippe at Twickenham,
Eton College in 1810, .
Flogging at Eton, under Dr Keate,
George IV. when Prince of Wales,
Beau Brummel's Aunt, Mrs Searle,
One Way out of a Dilemma,
Anecdote of a Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland,
Mr Lawrence, the Celebrated Surgeon,
Escapade of an Officer of the 3d Foot Guards,
The Good Fortune of a Pretty Woman,
Colonel, or " Bull," Townshend,



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236



Contents.



IX



PAGK

The Marquis d'Aligre and the Dentist, . . . 237

The French Emigres, ...... 239

The Emperor Alexander, ..... 241

An Incident at the Battle of Borodino, . . . 241

General Jacqueminot, ...... 242

The Emperor's Fur Cloak, ..... 243

A Marriage Quickly Arranged, ..... 244

Napoleon the First's Love of Music, .... 246

Parting of Napoleon and Madame Mere, . . . 248

Prince Euge"ne Beauharnais, ..... 248

The Present Emperor of the French when a Buy, . . 249
Jerome Bonaparte and Cardinal Fesch, . . .251
The Czar and the Apple Girl, . . . . .251

De Souza, the Portuguese Ambassador, . . . 252

Lord Hay and the Prince Kegent, .... 254

The Prince Eegent and Carlton House, . . . 255

Lord Barrymore, ...... 257

Lord Byron and Dan Mackinnon, .... 259

Caricature on the Allied Sovereigns, .... 260

Breguet, the French Watchmaker, . . . .261

Labedoyere and the Number Thirteen, . . . 262

Fouche and Carnot, ...... 262

L'Enf ant de Troupe, ...... 263

Incident at a Ball at the British Embassy in Paris, 1816, . 264

Unknown Persons at a Ball at the British Embassy, Paris, . 265

A Musician's Reproof, ...... 267

Lord Alvanley, ....... 268

Sir Astley Cooper and the Troop Horses, . . . 269

Italian Brigandage in 1815, ..... 270

Madame de Stael and Mr Canning, .... 273

The Duchess of Duras, ...... 273

Mr and Mrs Graham — their Soirees, .... 274

Mr Williams Hope and his Mistress, .... 276

How to get Invited to a Ball, ..... 277

Melancholy Result of a Ball, ..... 278



X



Contents.



PAGE

A Eoland for an Oliver, ..... 279

Sir Charles Shakerley, ...... 279

" Taking the Bull hy the Horns," . . . .280

Eagget, of White's Club, 2S2

The Cafe Tortoni, ...... 283

An Inveterate Gambler, ..... 287

Colonel Sebright of the Guards, . . . .288

The Princess Charlotte of Wales, . . . .290

The Duke of Clarence, ...... 291

The Origin of " Shocking Bad Hat," .... 294

Englishmen in Paris in 1S17, . . . . .294

The Bold Wife of a Rash Husband, . . . .297

A Mishap at Almack's, ...... 297

Sir Astley Cooper, ...... 299

Lady Holland and " the Bridge," . . . .300

The Bishop of Exeter and his Son, .... 300

Lord Deerhurst, (afterwards Lord Coventry,) . . .301

MrNeeld, 302

Mrs Beaumont, ....... 303

Windsor Castle in 1819, . . . . . 305

A Shoulder of Mutton a la Soubise, .... 307

Attempt to Assassinate trie Prince Regent, . . . 308

Coronation of George IV., ..... 309

George IV. and Bishop Porteous, . . . .310

Latter Days of George IV., ..... 311

Death and Funeral of the Duke of York, . . . 312

Colonel the Honourable II. Stanhope, . . . .312

Sir Robert Peel's Hat, ...... 313

An Irish Welcome, . , . . . .314

The Prince do Poix, . . . . . .314

Lady Normanby's Ball at the British Embassy, Paris, . 314

Louis Philippe's Sons at a Masked Ball, . . .315

Count Talleyrand Perigord's Private Theatricals, . . 31G

Prince Talleyrand's Opinion of the Duke of Wellington, . 317
Mots of Talleyrand, . . . . .319



Contents.



XI



The Emperor Nicholas at the Hague, .

Tne Prince de Ligne,

Pride of a Spanish Grandee,

The Emperor's Extra Equerry,

The Duke of Wellington and Lord Strangford.

Marshal Magnan's Opinion of British Soldiers,

Marshal Canrobert Reviewing the British Army,

A Beady Eetort,

An Act of Charity,

Madame Alboni,

The Derby of 1865 and French Racing,





PAr,E




. 320




. 320




. 322




322


,


323


) •


324


my,


324


.


325


i •


325


«


326


• « •


327



CELEBRITIES OF LONDON AND PARIS,



Almack's in 1815. — The personages delineated on
the cover are well worthy of notice, both from the
position they held in the fashionable world, and
from their being represented with great truth
and accuracy- The great George Brummell, the
admirable Crichton of the age, stands in a degage
attitude, with his fingers in his waistcoat pocket.
His neckcloth is inimitable, and must have cost him
much time and trouble to arrive at such perfection ;
as the following anecdote shows. A friend calling
on the beau saw the valet with an armful of flowing
white cravats, and asked him if his master wanted
so many at once. " These, sir, are our failures,"
was the reply. " Clean linen, and plenty of it,"
was Brummell's maxim. He is talking earnestly to
the charming Duchess of Kutland, who was a
Howard, and mother to the present Duke. The
tall man, in a black coat, who is preparing to waltz
with Princess Esterhazy, so long ambassadress of
Austria in London, is the Comte de St Antonio,
afterwards Duke of Canizzaro. He resided many
years in England, was a very handsome man, and

A.



2 The Duke of Wellington and the Cavalry.

a great lady-killer ; he married an English heiress,
Miss Johnson.

The original sketch from which these figures are
taken, included also portraits of Charles, Marquis
of Queensberry, Baron Neumann, at that time secre-
tary of the Austrian Embassy ; the late Sir George
Warrender (who was styled by his friends Sir George
Provender, being famed for his good dinners) ; and
the handsome Comte St Aldegonde, afterwards a
general, and at this period aide-de-camp to Louis
Philippe, then Duke of Orleans.

The sketch was made in water-colours, from a
group of these celebrities at a ball at Almack's, and'
was given to Brummell by the artist who executed
it ; it was highly prized by the king of the dandies,
and was purchased at the sale of his effects in
Chapel Street by the person who gave it to me.

The Duke of Wellington and the Cavalry.
— About three weeks after the battle of Waterloo I
received orders from the Horse Guards to join my
battalion in London. Two of my brother- officers
who had gone over to Paris, Tom Brooke and Hun-
ter, the adjutant, who were to accompany me, re-
quested me to return by way of Brussels, as they
were very anxious to see the field of Waterloo. I
complied with their request, and acted as their
cicerone. On the following day we arrived in
Brussels, and dined, a few days afterwards, with
General Sir George Cooke, who had commanded our
division, and lost an arm. He was still suffering
from his wound, and was living at the hotel where
supper had been ordered for the Emperor Napoleon
in anticipation of his certain triumph on the 18th.



The Duke of Wellington and the Cavalry. 3

Sir George observed to us that it was lucky for
Lord Uxbridge that the field had been won by us ;
for had this not been the case, he would have got
into an awkward scrape for having engaged tho
cavalry without orders from the Duke. From what
Sir George seemed to think, it was evidently the
Duke's intention to keep the cavalry in hand, and
perfectly fresh, so that they might have charged the
French squadrons when the latter had exhausted
themselves in their attacks on our squares. To
corroborate this opinion, he told us an anecdote of
the war in Spain, which may be interesting, as shew-
ing how opposed the Duke was to the harum-scarum
custom of our cavalry officers, who hurled their men
at full gallop on the enemy, without supports, and
without any actual plan or intimation beyond the
ardour of a sportsman going at a five-barred gate.

He stated, when Sir Stapleton Cotton went out
to take the command of the cavalry, at his first in-
terview with Lord Wellington, his chief addressed
him as follows : — " General Cotton, I am glad
to see you in command of the cavalry ; and I wish
you to bear in mind that cavalry should be always
held well in hand ; that your men and horses should
not be used up in wild and useless charges, but put
forward when you are sure that their onset will
have a decisive effect. Above all, remember that you
had better not engage, as a general rule, unless you
see an opportunity of attacking the French with a
superior force. In Spain, the Germans, the 14th
Light Dragoons, and perhaps the 12th, under Fred.
Fonsonby, were the only regiments that knew their
duty and did not get into scrapes of every descrip-
tion."



The Duke and the Author,



The Duke at Carlton House. — The Duke of
Wellington dined frequently with the Prince Re-
gent, who, when he had finished his iced punch
and a bottle of sherry, began to be garrulous. The
Regent would invariably talk about the battle of
Waterloo, and speak of the way in which he had
charged the French with the Household Brigade :
upon one occasion he was so far gone that he
had the temerity to tell the Duke he had com-
pletely bowled over the French cavalry commanded
by Marshal Ney. This was too much for the Duke
to swallow, and he said, " I have heard you, sir, say
so before ; but I did not witness this marvellous
charge. Your Royal Highness must know that the
French cavalry are the best in Europe."

At this same dinner Sir Watkyns William Wynn
asked the illustrious Duke whether he had a good
view of the battle of Waterloo, whereupon the
Baronet got the following laconic reply, " I generally
like to see what I am about."

The Duke and the Author. — As everything
connected with the Duke of Wellington is re-
ceived with pleasure by the public, and as what
I am going to relate is well known to many of my
contemporaries, who have often urged me to put it
into print, I am encouraged to relate an anecdote in
which I played a prominent part, and which, though
it happened forty-five years ago, made so deep
an impression on my mind that I can narrate the
circumstances as correctly as if they had occurred
yesterday.

After leaving the Guards in 1821, I spent some
time in Paris, where several of my friends had



The Duke and the Author.



established themselves, and we all pronounced it to
be the most delightful city in the world. I remem-
ber Luttrell, at a dinner where several alliterative
toasts were given, such as London and Liberty,
Edinburgh and Education, giving as his toast, Paris
and Pocket-money. That most agreeable of men was
seldom wrong in anything that he said ; and in those
days, as we all possessed plenty of the second ingre-
dient of his " sentiment," we passed a most agreeable
time, and perhaps lived "not wisely but too well ;"
at all events we enjoyed ourselves immensely

In the midst of this very pleasant existence, I
happened to call, one morning, upon the Princess

M , who lived in the Rue Basse du Eempart.

No sooner had we shaken hands than she began
speaking of the Duke of Wellington, who had
arrived for a few days to see the King, and who
was then about to leave Paris. She asked me if I
was aware that I was no favourite with his Grace,
and that he had even spoken of me in no measured
terms. I replied that I had not the honour of
knowing the Duke personally, and that my position
was too humble a one to attract his notice. " You

are mistaken," said Madame de M ; " he has

doubtless heard very unfavourable reports of your
character, for he has warned young Paul Lieven to
beware of forming any intimacy with a man addicted
to gambling and the society of opera-dancers and
actresses, as such an acquaintance might not only
lead him astray now, but be very detrimental to
his prospects in after-life."

After hearing this agreeable communication, I
lost no time in calling on my intimate friend,
Captain Hesse, a natural son of the Duke of York's,



The Duke and the Author,



and who was at that time an officer in the 18th
Hussars. I related to mjjidus Achates what had
been told me by the Princess, and asked his advice
as to the line of conduct I ought to pursue.

Hesse, who was personally well known to the
Duke, offered to call at the English Embassy, where
his Grace was staying, and ask for some explana-
tion of so unwarrantable an attack. Unluckily, the
great man had left for London, with Lord Fitzroy
Somerset, that very morning. Hesse and I, there-
fore, concocted a letter to the Duke, in which I
entreated his Grace to tell me if the lady's report
was correct, as it appeared to me incomprehensible
that a person of his exalted station should have
thus attacked the private character of a man totally
unknown to him.

This letter was duly forwarded to London, but did
not reach the Duke there ; for on his arrival in town
he had found an invitation from the Prince Eegent
to pass some days with him at the Pavilion at
Brighton, where my letter was placed in his hands.
His Grace, with that promptitude for which he was
always so remarkable, replied to me in a letter of
four pages. I regret that this document, upon
which I always placed a high value, is no longer in
my hands. I lent it to Count d'Orsay, who was
anxious to have a copy of it ; and notwithstanding
that a strict search has been made, since his death,
amongst the papers that he left behind him, in the
possession of his sister, the Duchesse de Grammont,
I have not been able to recover a document of so
much value to me and to society : for it expresses
the opinions of a man whose every thought was
certain to be respected and well received.



The Duke and the Author.



The Duke's letter was complimentary to me in-
dividually, and gave a most decided denial of his
having uttered any expression that could be con-
sidered derogatory to me. He had, he admitted,
given some advice to young Count Lieven, but these
counsels had no reference to any of his associates. He
added that he could not have spoken in such terms of
me, as he was totally unacquainted with either my
habits or my tastes. To the lady he never could
have mentioned my name, as he had not once been
in her society during his short visit to Paris. He had
never made any observations about the imprudence
or follies of gamblers, for in fact some of the best
friends he had in the world belonged to that cate-
gory. He concluded a most dignified letter in his
characteristic style, by saying that if I was not fully
convinced of his not deserving the imputation that
had been cast upon him of abusing me, he was per-
fectly ready to give me any satisfaction that I might
think proper to demand.

I cannot call to mind, even at this distance of
time, the noble conduct of the great Duke on this
occasion without feeling deeply affected.

Throughout the whole of his eventful career, the
Duke of Wellington always placed first and fore-
most, far above his military and social honours, his
position as an English gentleman. How few in his
Grace's exalted station would have condescended
even to notice such a letter as mine, worded though
it was in a most respectful manner, or have deigned
to give so full and ample an explanation ; and how
few would, like the truly great man, have waved their
high military rank in a discussion with an obscure
subaltern, and declared themselves ready to give him



Wellington's First Campaign.



redress sur le champ, if he still considered himself
injured and aggrieved.

I am proud to think that the great Duke did not
bear malice, or think any the worse of me for the
explanation I had demanded. In the year 1824, I
happened to be walking one morning in the Park,
near Apsley House, with my friend Charles, com-
monly called Cornet Wortley. We had not been
there long when we met the Duke, who called
Wortley to him, and, after a short conversation, as
I stood on one side, I heard him ask Wortley who
I was, and on his answering, as I took off my hat
the Duke smiled, touched his, and nodded to me
most good-naturedly several times.

Wellington's First Campaign. — The Duke of
Wellington had in his early career lost a consider-
able sum of money at play, and had been on the
point of selling his commission in Dublin, with the
view of relieving himself from some debts of
honour which he had incurred.

At a dinner party at Mr Greenwood's, of that
excellent firm, Cox & Greenwood, I met Sir
Harry Calvert, then Adjutant-Genera], who accom-
panied the Duke of York as one of his staff in his
disastrous campaign in Holland ; and he told us
the following anecdote . — Lord Camden, the viceroy,
had been applied to by Lord Mornington, the
brother of Captain Wesley, (so his name was then
spelt,) for a Commissionership of Customs, or any-
thing else in the gift of the Lord-Lieutenant of
Ireland, as it was the intention of the Captain to
sell his commission to pay his debts. Lord Camden,
in an interview with Captain Wesley, inquired



Wellington's First Campaign.



whether he left the army in disgust, or what
motive induced him to relinquish a service in
which he was well qualified to distinguish himself.
Captain Wesley explained everything that had
occurred, upon which the Lord- Lieu tenant expressed
a wish to be of service to him. " What can I do
for you ■? Point out any plan by which you can be
extricated from your present difficulties." The
answer was, "I have no alternative but to sell my
commission ; for I am poor, and unable to pay off my
debts of honour." " Eemain in the army,"' said Lord
Camden, "and I will assist you in paying off your
liabilities." " I should like to study my profession at
Angers," replied the young soldier ; " for the French
are the great masters of the art of war." Lord Cam-
den assented to the proposition, supplied him with
the means of living in France, and paid his debts.

Captain Wellesley, availing himself of the generous
assistance thus offered, spent a considerable time at
the Military School at Angers, where he laboured
with intense application, and laid the foundation of
that military reputation which placed him above
all competitors. It was this education that enabled
him to gain his first laurels. On his return to
England, he was ordered to join the Duke of York
in Flanders, as Major of the 33d Eegiment of Foot ;
and the Colonel and first Major being absent, the
command of the regiment devolved upon him. The
expedition landed near Furnes in the Netherlands,
the crack regiments first ; and these, directly they
set foot on shore, advanced helter-skelter, fancying
themselves on the high-road to Paris.

When the 33d disembarked, Major Wellesley,
knowing French tactics, addressed himself to Cap-



10 The Guards and the Umbrellas.

tain Calvert, the Duke of York's aide-de-camp, point-
ing out the certainty of a speedy attack of the
enemy's cavalry and artillery, and the great prob-
ability that every man who had advanced would
be cut to pieces. He said, "Pray, allow me to form
squares of divisions upon the beach before it is too
late." This was done, and almost immediately
afterwards, Vandamme, with the whole of his cavalry,
supported by artillery, came down, threatening to
sweep everything before them. Our troops rapidly
dispersing, luckily found the 33d in square, and
were thus saved from annihilation. The Duke of
York observing this adroit and ready manoeuvre on
the part of the young Major, called him to his
council, and gave him the command of the rear-
guard. After continually fighting and retreating
for several weeks, the army embarked for Eng-
land.

The reputation thus gained led to Major AVel-
lesley's appointment in India, where he displayed
those abilities which marked him out as the only
man to oppose, and finally to conquer, the greatest
of modern generals.

The lesson the Duke of Wellington had learnt at
the gambling-table, as a young man, was deeply im-
pressed upon him : he never afterwards touched a
card ; and so firmly did he set his face against
gambling, that, in Paris, none of his staff, from
Lord Fitzroy Somerset down to Freemantle, was
ever to be seen either at Frascati's or the Salon des
Etrangers.

The Guards and the Umbrellas. — During the
action of the 10th of December 1813, commonly



Colonel Freemantle and the Duke's Quarters. 1 1

known as that of the Mayor's House, in the neigh-
bourhood of Bayonne, the Grenadier Guards, under
the command of Colonel Tynling, occupied an un-
finished redoubt on the right of the high-road. The
Duke of Wellington happened to pass with Free-
mantle and Lord A. Hill, on his return to head-
quarters, having satisfied himself that the fighting
was merely a feint on the part of Soult. His Grace
on looking around saw, to his surprise, a great many
umbrellas, with which the officers protected them-
selves from the rain that was then falling. Arthur
Hill came galloping up to us saying, " Lord Welling-
ton does not approve of the use of umbrellas during
the enemy's firing, and will not allow ' the gentle-
men's sons ' * to make themselves ridiculous in the
eyes of the army." Colonel Tynling, a few days
afterwards, received a wigging from Lord Welling-
ton for suffering his officers to carry umbrellas in
the face of the enemy ; his Lordship observing,
" The Guards may in uniform, when on duty at St
James's, carry them if they please ; but in the field
it is not only ridiculous but unmilitary."

Colonel Freemantle and the Duke's Quar-
ters. — When the British army was in full retreat
from Burgos, Colonel Freemantle was sent by Lord
Wellington to look out for comfortable quarters for
himself and his staff. Freemantle, after galloping
over many miles of desolate country, could only dis-
cover a hut. Accordingly a good fire was prepared
for the Commander of the Forces, and every prepara-
tion made for his reception. After Freemantle had

* " They are worthy the name given them by the army, that ?f
gentlemen's sons."



12 A Word for Brown Bess.

communicated with his Lordship, he lost bo time in
returning, when, to his surprise, he found the hut
occupied by an officer of the line, who, standing
with his back turned to the blazing fire, was whistling
" for want of thought." The aide-de-camp politely
told the officer that the hut had been secured for
Lord Wellington, and therefore begged he would
retire. The officer flatly refused, saying he would
not give it up to Lord Wellington, or to Old Nick
himself. " Well, then, I must use force : the pro-
vost-marshal shall be sent for, whose prisoner you
will be until a court-martial shall sit for disobedi-
ence of orders/' The officer surrendered at discre-
tion, and was never more seen at head-quarters.

This anecdote was told to Brummell at White's
Club by Freemantle on his return to England, when
the beau exclaimed, " If I had been in your place,
Freemantle, I should have rung the bell, and desired
the servants to kick the fellow down-stairs."

A Word for Brown Bess. — When the British
army invested Bayonne, it fell to my lot to be on
outpost duty, and I then and there saw a long
shot fired from one of our old muskets which shewed
that Brown Bess, though not equalling our modern
weapons, had yet some good solid merits of her own,
and when held straight was not to be despised even
at a long range. Several shots had been fired from
the French pickets, when Captain Grant of the 1st
Foot Guards, being the senior officer on duty, came
to me to inquire the cause of the firing, and desired
me to make my way to the front and endeavour to
ascertain what had occurred. Having arrived near
the ravine which separated us from the French, I



A Strange Rencontre. 13

stumbled upon an advanced sentry, a German, who
was coolly smoking his pipe. I asked him whether
the shots that had been heard came from his neigh-
bourhood, upon which he replied in broken English,
" Yes, zir, that feelow you see yonder has fired nine
times at mine target," (meaning his body,) " but has
missed. I hopes you, Capitaine, will let me have
one shot at him." The distance between the French
picket and ours could not have been less than 400
yards ; so, without giving myself time to think, I
said, "Yes, you can have one shot at him." He
levelled his musket, fired, and killed his man ; where-
upon, a sergeant and two or three French soldiers
who had seen him fall, ran down to the front and
removed the body.

A Strange Eencontre. — On the 10th of Novem-
ber 1813, while the light companies of the Cold-
stream and 3d Guards were skirmishing in front
of Irun, the present Sir Wyndham Anstruther, then
an officer in the Coldstream Guards, was severely
wounded by a musket-ball just below the knee ; and
had he not received the most unceasing attention
from the surgeon, Mr Eose, he would in all prob-
ability have lost his leg. When the army commanded
by the Duke of Wellington advanced, in the early
part of the spring of 1814, Mr Eose recommended
Mr Anstruther to return to England on sick leave ;
and he was placed, on his arrival, under the care of
the celebrated surgeon, Sir Everard Home, by whose
skill he completely recovered, but was not able to
join the British army before it had reached Paris
after the battle of Waterloo. Mr Anstruther re-
mained several months in Paris, and in the early



14 A Strange Rencontre.

part of 1816, after dining one clay with Mr Boul-
ton, an old friend, who had hired a country-house
at St Maur, two leagues beyond Vincennes, was re-
turning to towi. in a small carriage upon two wheels,
called a coucou, commonly used in those days, and
which travelled at the rate of about five miles an
hour. Having placed himself on the front seat out-
side with the driver, after a time they got into con-
versation, and thinking, from his appearance, that he
looked like an old soldier, Mr Anstruther inquired
whether he had served ; to which the coachman an-
swered in the affirmative, mentioning the number of
his regiment aDd the battles in which he had taken
part , and he added that he was afraid he had killed
an English officer in front of Iran, on the banks of
the Bidassoa. Mr Anstruther naturally felt surprised
at what he had heard, knowing that he was the only
officer hit at the time and place specified, so he ques-
tioned the driver as to the nature of the ground, and
his reasons for being so sure of having killed the
officer. The man at once said that about three
o'clock on the 1 Oth of November, he and a few com-
rades ran down from Iran into a small clump of
brushwood about half way between the town and
the hedges lined by the English ; that they had not
been there long before they wounded one of the
Englishmen, and that an officer sprang forward to
the assistance of the wounded soldier, when he, the
coachman, fired and hit the officer, who fell, to all
appearance, mortally wounded. The driver was per-
fectly astonished when informed that the English
officer he thought he had killed was still alive and
sitting by his side. The old soldier even shed (or
pretended to shed) tears of joy ; and after a minute



English and French Soldiers on the Boulevards. 15



examination of dates and details, Mr Anstruther
presented his quondam enemy with a couple oi
napoleons to drink his health. This he did, after
placing his carriage in the yard of the village inn,
and to some purpose, for he got very drunk, to the
amusement of the villagers, to whom he recounted
his story, and who carried him in triumph upon
their shoulders, crying, " Vive l'officier Anglais ! "

English and Fkench Soldiers on the Boule-
vards. — In 1815, during the period when the English
Guards were doing garrison-duty in Paris, the usual
rendezvous of the soldiers was on the Boulevard du
Temple, where Punch and Judy performed to the
great amusement of our brave comrades. It was
also the custom at the same period for the dis-
charged officers of the Army of the Loire to con-
gregate there ; and I remember witnessing the fol-
lowing incident : — During the performance of Punch,
a diminutive, humpbacked man made himself very
noisy and troublesome to those in front of him.
Two officers, wearing the Cross of the Legion of
Honour, were much annoyed at this, and requested
the dwarf to keep quiet, and to leave off annoying
them. The diminutive gentleman replied by abus-
ing them, and calling them sacres Bonapartistes,
an epithet of a disagreeable kind at that period, for
it was not safe to be known by that denomination.
The taller of the two officers, not relishing the im-
pertinence of the dwarf, took him off the ground,
placed him upon his shoulders, and walked up to
M. Guignol, saying, " Take back your Punchinello ;
he has lost himself, (il s'est egare entre nos
jambes.) v Our soldiers, who witnessed this practi-



1G "Hats Off."



cal joke and well-deserved lesson, gave the French
officer three cheers. This mark of sympathy from
an enemy had its desired effect, for it produced
a good feeling ever after, and we became on excel-
lent terms with our former brave antagonists,
whom the fortune of war had deprived of their
rank and pay, and who were much to be pitied
under the species of ostracism to which they were
condemned.

" Date obolum Belisaeio. " — The Marquis
d'Aligre, the richest and most avaricious man in
France, and supposed to be worth three or four
millions of money, was once seen entering a church
during a charity sermon. He was accosted by a
great lady of the Faubourg St Germain, who, hold-
ing a bag for charitable contributions, begged him
to give her something for the poor. The Marquis
did not appear to understand the request, but the
lady returned to the charge ; upon which the Mar-
quis declined giving anything, stating that he had
no money. The lady then placed the bag full of
money under the nose of the Marquis, saying,
" Help yourself, Monsieur d'Aligre, for this bag-
contains money for the poor ; and as you say you
are penniless, pray help yourself." Upon which the
old miser, for once heartily ashamed of himself,
pulled out of his pocket a purse full of gold, and
threw it into the bag.



O"



" Hats off." — At a party at the Vicomtesse de
Noailles's soon after the Allied Armies had entered
Paris, and at which I was present, some of the ladies
expressed their surprise that Englishmen of high



"Hats Off." 17



birth did not take off their hats when bowed to, as
was the custom in France and other countries. Du-
puytren, the celebrated surgeon, happened to join
the party, when some one observed that perhaps the
Doctor could solve the riddle, and explain the real
cause of such apparent rudeness on the part of the
English. Dupuytren, in his coarse and blunt man-
ner, said, " The teigne, or scald-head, is a very com-
mon disease in Europe ; it is therefore more than
probable that those foreigners who keep their hats
on in the presence of ladies are afflicted with that
loathsome complaint." Lady Stafford, afterwards
Duchess of Sutherland, who had been quietly sitting
on one of the sofas, and whose presence had escaped
the notice of Dupuytren, rose, and, in a dignified
manner, said, " Doctor, that horrible disease is un-
known in my country. My countrymen take off
their hats to royalty, to ladies, and to none besides."
Whereupon Dupuytren rejoined, " Surely, my lady,
there is no law in England which precludes a well-
bred gentleman from taking off his hat to his equals,
and more especially to females." Lady Stafford re-
torted with spirit, " You can ridicule my country-
men if you think fit, Doctor ; but with all their
faults and apparent rudeness, they have never been
guilty of cutting off the heads of beautiful and
innocent women, as you have done in France."
This severe retort on the part of her Ladyship was
considered by all present as quite uncalled for ; but
the Vicomtesse apologised to her friends by saying
that Lady Stafford should be pardoned, for she lived
in Paris during the Eevolution as ambassadress from
England, and was a great favourite and friend of
Queen Marie-Antoinette. She conveyed to the poor

B



18 Hatred of the Prussians by the French.



Queen when in prison many little comforts and
necessaries ; and when the embassy had left Paris,
and Marie-Antoinette, after unheard-of barbarities,
was guillotined, Lady Stafford regarded her execu-
tion as the most atrocious murder, and vowed the
utmost detestation and abhorrence, not only of the
ruffians who by their bloody deeds dishonoured
France, but of the whole French nation.

Hatred of the Prussians by the French
Peasantry. — During the memorable retreat of Na-
poleon from the Ehine to Fontainebleau, the Allies
amounted to five times the number of the French.
Though greatly outnumbered, yet there was unity
of will and of purpose in the councils of Napoleon
and his generals, which Schwartzenberg and Blucher
failed to infuse into their troops. Wanting neither
in alacrity nor in vigour when the glory of his
country was concerned, Napoleon, with his handful
of men, made supernatural efforts ; taking advan-
tage of every good position that presented itself,
and attacking the enemy upon several points upon
the same day.

Upon one occasion he had completely divided the
Allies by his comprehensive and well-arranged oper-
ations. Napoleon, to effect this gigantic manoeuvre,
took the bull by its horns, and accordingly fought
the battle of Chateau-Thierry. In this sanguinary
battle the French army succeeded in taking from
the Prussians all their cannon and ammunition, and
several thousand prisoners. After the battle, Gen-
eral Belliard, who commanded the advanced posts
naturally took possession of the town of Chateau-
Thierry ; and on entering the principal street with



Severe Discipline in the Russian Army. 19

his staff, beheld a most shocking and horrible
spectacle. The Prussians had committed every
sort of cruelty during the period they occupied
Chateau-Thierry prior to the battle, and the in-
habitants of that place were driven to such a
pitch of exasperation, that when the battle turned
in favour of the French, the people acted in a
most barbarous and cruel manner towards every
Prussian, whether wounded or not, who fell into
their hands.

The first thing which General Belliard saw in
entering the town was a group of infuriated women,
their hands bathed in blood, brandishing the
knives with which they were busily employed in
killing the wounded soldiers. The General and his
staff had great difficulty in putting a stop to this
horrid scene. The women, more like furies than hu-
man beings, addressed the General, saying they had
undergone horrible treatment from the Germans,
who had not only pillaged them of everything they
possessed, but had violated all the women, both
young and old, and had killed their husbands in
cold blood. "Yes, General," cried one of those
furies, "I have begun this butchery, and I will
end it !" and in his presence she plunged her knife
into the heart of a poor prisoner.

Severe Discipline in the Eussian Aemy. —
When we were quartered in Paris in 1815, a strange
circumstance occurred. It became our duty to
provide the guard for the Emperor of Russia, and
a dinner was provided for us similar to that which
is given at St James's. Prior to dinner being
Served, our Adjutant informed the Colonel that there



20 The Emperor Alexander in Paris.



were four Russian general officers in our custody.
It naturally struck us that something very horrible
had occurred to have caused the disgrace of men
of such high rank. It fell to the lot of Captain
Vernon, son of the late Archbishop of York, to call
upon those unfortunate officers to invite them to
dinner — an invitation which they cheerfully _ ac-
cepted. During the first course, curiosity seized
the gallant Captain; for, in proposing the health of
one of our prisoners, he begged the Eussian would
inform us of the cause of their disgrace. The reply
was, the Emperor was not satisfied with the manner
in which their men had marched past at the review;
whereupon Vernon filled his glass up to the brim,
and drank, " Confusion to all tyrants, and — Vive
Napoleon ! " The Eussian generals appeared thun-
derstruck, and observed, that if they drank the
toast proposed it would cost them their heads.

Nothing more was heard of the Eussian generals
until two days after, when we, (the officers of the
guard,) were summoned before the Duke of Wel-
lington, to explain what it all meant. The Duke
having heard us, said he hoped that for the future
we would abstain from alluding to Bonaparte, for
as Louis XVIII. had been proclaimed the King of
France, any allusion to the fallen hero would be
both impolitic and mischievous; adding that he
would make a point of presenting himself at the
Emperor of Russia's hotel, and explaining the occur-
rence.

The Emperor Alexander in Paris. — The Em-
peror Alexander of Russia was fond of telling an
anecdote of a circumstance which occurred to him-



A Fire-Eater Cowed. 21

self and the King of Prussia whilst in Paris, in
1815. They had lounged together to the Palais
Royal, which in those days was surrounded by a
number of narrow streets and alleys, and in return-
ing to the Tuileries, they found that they were in a
labyrinth, from which it was difficult to extricate
themselves. The Emperor, after a time, accosted a
well-dressed man who wore the cross of St Louis,
and asked the nearest route to the Tuileries. The
answer was, " I am going there myself, and will
readily accompany you. Will you do me the hon-
our of informing me whom I am conducting ] "
The Czar replied, " I am the Emperor of Russia."
The gentleman received the information with an
incredulous smile. " And who is your companion % "
said he. " This is the King of Prussia. But
whom am I to thank for this politeness % " The
Parisian, thinking that he would be a match for
this waggish stranger, replied, " Oh, I am the
Emperor of China." Little further conversation
passed between them, the Frenchman apparently
declining to be further hoaxed. On their arrival
at the gate of the Tuileries, however, the generate
was beat, the soldiers saluted, and hats were taken
off, to the amazement of the soi-disant monarch of
the Celestial Empire, who was now convinced that
his companions had higher claims to a throne than
he possessed. When the two great personages
turned round to thank their " guide, philosopher,
and friend," they found that he also had assumed
an incognito, and had disappeared.

A Fike-Eater Cowed. — A singular incident oc-
curred at the Cafe Frangais in 1816, at the corner



oo



An Insult Rightly Redressed.



of the Hue Laffitte. A celebrated duellist entered
and began insulting all the persons who were seated
at dinner ; he boasted of his courage, and declared

his determination to kill a certain M. de F .

A gentleman present, disgusted at such braggart
insolence, quietly walked up to this fire-eater, and
addressed him thus : " As you are such a dangerous
customer, perhaps you will accommodate me, by
being punctual at the entrance of the Bois de Bou-
logne, near the Porte Maillot, at mid-day to-morrow :
earlier I cannot get there, but depend upon my
arriving in due time with swords and pistols." The
duellist began to demur, saying he did not know
what right a stranger had to take up the cudgels of

M. de F ; to which the gentleman replied, " I

have done so because I am anxious to rid society of
a dangerous fellow like yourself, and would recom-
mend you before you go to bed to make your will.
I will undertake to order your coffin and pay your
funeral expenses." He then gave the waiter a note
of 1000 francs, with the injunction that his orders
should be executed before eleven the following day.
This had the desired effect of intimidating the
bully, who left Paris the following day, and never
more was heard of or seen in public.

An Insult Rightly Redressed.— Soon after the
restoration of the Bourbons, several duels took place
for the most frivolous causes. Duels were fought in
the daytime, and even by night. The officers of the
Swiss Guards were constantly measuring swords
with the officers of the old Garde Imperiale. Upon
one occasion a Frenchman, determined to insult a
Swiss officer, who, in the uniform of his regiment



A Duel between Two Officers of the Guards. 23

was quietly taking his ice at Tortoni's, addressed
him thus : " I would not serve my country for the
sake of money, as you do. We Frenchmen think
only of honour." To which the other promptly
retorted, " You are right ; for we both of us serve
for what we do not possess." A duel was the con-
sequence ; they fought with swords under a lamp
in the Eue Taitbout, and the Frenchman was run
through the body ; but luckily the wound, though
dangerous, did not prove fatal.

A Duel between Two Old Friends. — General
A. de Girardin, some forty years back, had a serious
quarrel with one of his old friends, the Marquis de
Briancourt, about a lady. A duel was the conse-
quence. Pistols were chosen ; but, prior to exchang-
ing shots, De Girardin's second went (as was the
custom) and felt the right side of his friend's an-
tagonist, but found nothing there to indicate the
existence of padding, &c. Accordingly, after mea-
surement of the ground, pistols were handed to
the combatants. The Marquis changed his pistol
from his right into his left hand ; both parties fired,
and the Marquis fell. The seconds flew to the aid
of the wounded man, but, to their astonishment,
on opening his waistcoat several sheets of thick
paper were found folded over the region of the
heart. Notwithstanding this device, the blow from
the bullet created a sore on the left side, which was
never effectually cured. The Marquis died shortly
afterwards.

A Duel between Two Officees in the Life
Guards about the year 1821. — A lamentable duel



24 Fayot, the Champion of the Legitimists.



took place in Paris during the Kestoration between
two officers of the Life Guards, Captain Walsh
and Lieutenant Pellew, about a lady. The latter
gentleman was shot through the head. It is quite
enough to state that Captain Walsh was justified in
the steps he had taken, for he had received the
o-reatest injury that one man could inflict on another.
Though this unfortunate duel took place above forty
years back, I well remember it, for I refused to be
the Lieutenant's second, because he had behaved so
ill. The impression it made was very great, and
the general feeling was in favour of the injured
husband.

Fayot, the Champion of the Legitimists. —
Fayot fought more duels than any man in France.
His aim with a pistol was certain ; but he was not
cruel, and he usually wounded his adversary either in
the leg or arm. He was likewise a good swordsman.
General Fournier was afraid of Fayot, and only
once measured swords with him; while the latter
had a horror of Fournier for having killed so many
young men belonging to good families. In his ren-
contre with Fayot, the General was severely wounded
in the hand, and ever after Fayot hunted his anta-
gonist from one end of France to the other, deter-
mined to put an end to the "assassin," as he was
called; but the Eevolution of 1830 came, and all
was chaos.

Fayot's father was guillotined in the south of
France in 1793. His mother, after the severe loss
she had sustained in the death of her husband,
whom she adored, brought up her son at Avignon,
telling him, as he grew up to be a man, to take



Fayot, the Champion of the Legitimists. 25

every opportunity of avenging the death of his
father. Upon the restoration of the Bourbons,
Fayot came to Paris, where, by his singular man-
ners and dress, he laid himself open to remark and
ridicule. In the daytime he was usually dressed
in a green coat, white waistcoat and neckcloth,
leather pantaloons, and Hessian boots, with his hat
on one side. He visited London in 1814, where he
bought a tilbury and horse, which he brought to
Paris, and in this gig he paraded every day up and
down the Boulevards, from the Rue Laffitte to the
Place de la Madeleine. His evenings were generally
passed either at Tortoni's or Silve's, the respective
rendezvous of the Bonapartists and Bourbons. In
one or other of these cafes Fayot was sure to be
found. He publicly gave out that he was ready to
measure swords with any one who dared to insinu-
ate anything against the royal family, — a threat
sure to bring upon him serious rencontres ; but
nothing intimidated him. It was reported at the
time, and generally believed, that he had, in the
short period of two years, fought thirty duels with-
out having been seriously wounded.

Upon one occasion Fayot repaired to the Theatre
Francais to see "Germanicus;" party spirit then ran
high, and any allusion complimentary to the fallen
Emperor was received by the Bonapartists with ap-
plause. Fayot loudly hissed, and a great uproar
arose, when Fayot entered the breach by proclaim-
ing himself the champion of Legitimacy. The con-
sequence was that cards flew about the pit ; Fayot
carefully picked them up, and placed them in his
hat. After the play had terminated he repaired to
Tortoni's, where he wrote his address upon several



26 The Gardes du Corps.

pieces of paper, which he distributed all over the
Boulevards, stating that he was to be found every
morning between the hours of eleven and twelve
at the well in the Bois de Boulogne, near Auteuil.
Strange to say, after all this row at the theatre,
only one antagonist was forthcoming. On the
second day, at the hour appointed, a gentleman
arrived with his seconds, who found Fayot in his
tilbury, ready for the fight. The name of his anta-
gonist was a Monsieur Harispe, the son of the dis-
tinguished Basque General. Pistols were chosen,
and at the first discharge Fayot shot his adversary
in the knee; then, taking off his hat, he left the
ground and proceeded to Paris in his tilbury to
breakfast at Tortoni's, where a great many persons
had congregated to know the result of this terrible
duel.

The Ee volution of 1830 drove Fayot away from
Paris, and he retired to his native Avignon, where
he lived much respected by the principal inhabitants
of that quaint town. In passing through Avignon
some twelve years back I called upon him, and found
him much altered, but still dressed in his original
costume, — the green coat, white neckcloth, &c.

The Gardes du Corps. — I knew several of those
gentlemen who had succeeded in getting into the
companies of the Gardes du Corps — St Arnaud,
Fouquainville, Odoard, Warrelles, St Roman, Fro-
masson, and, though last, not least, Warren, an
Irishman by birth, but whose father had married a
French lady. Warren stood six feet four inches in
height, and was an extremely powerful man. He
was always in hot water with his comrades, and had



•The Gardes du Corps. 27

fought duels with several of them, aud his face and
body shewed marks of sabre cuts ; indeed, fighting
and drinking were his delights. I never saw a man so
violent when he had finished his bottle of champagne
and a few glasses of brandy : he became quite out-
rageous. He usually breakfasted, when off duty, at
Tortoni's, upon beefsteaks and broiled kidneys ; and
any one to whom he bore a grudge who entered
the room at that moment was sure to be roughly
handled.

It happened that Monsieur , a distinguished

painter, had returned to Paris from England, where
he had played a shameful and disgusting part. The
painter had been employed by the celebrated Mr
Hope of Duchess Street to paint the portrait of his
wife, Mrs Hope, afterwards Lady Beresford. When
the painting was finished, Mr Hope objected to pay
for it, stating that it was a daub. The enraged
painter, determined to be revenged, took the portrait
home with him, and in a few days returned it with
the addition of a beast representing Mr Hope in the
presence of his beautiful wife. A trial was the con-
sequence, and the painter was cast in damages. After
this untoward event, London proved too hot for the
Frenchman, and he returned to Paris, where his im-
prudence in speaking in no measured terms of the
English got him into a scrape which cost him his life.

The painter (unluckily for him) arrived at Tortoni's
to breakfast at the moment when Warren was in
one of his dangerous fits, and attempted to appease
Warren by going up to him and begging him to be
more tranquil. This sort of impertinence Warren
could not brook, and exclaiming, "You are the
blackguard who laughs at the English," he seized



28 The late Marshal Castellane.



hold of the artist, carried him as if he had been a
bundle of straw, and held him out of the window.
By the interference of those gentlemen present and
the crowd below in the street, Warren was persuaded
to carry back the terrified painter into the room. A
duel was the consequence, in which the combatants
were to fight with pistols until one of them was
killed : Warren won the first toss, he levelled and
fired, and his adversary fell mortally wounded. This
duel was much talked of, but no one lamented the
result of the duel ; for the painter was overbearing,
and generally disliked by his countrymen as well as
by foreigners.

I can scarcely look back to those days of duelling
without shuddering. If you looked at a man it was
enough ; for without having given the slightest
offence, cards were exchanged, and the odds were
that you stood a good chance of being shot, or run
through the body, or maimed for life.

The late Marshal Castellane. — Marshal Cas-
tellane, a member of a distinguished family, entered
the army under Napoleon when First Consul, and
was employed during the Eussiau war. His politi-
cal feelings were always in favour of legitimacy, and
therefore, on the return of the Bourbons, he gladly
retained his rank. The following circumstance,
which occurred when he was colonel of a crack regi-
ment of hussars, explains the cause of his so rapidly
obtaining the rank of general in the royal service —

A ball was about to be given at the Tuileries, to
which the Duchesse de Berri graciously invited the
officers of Colonel Castellane's regiment. He, how-
ever, resolved that they should not be present, and



The late Marshal Castellane. 29

meeting some opposition to his will, he determined
to carry his point by placing them under arrest.
The Duchesse de Berri finding that her assembly
would thus lose some of its most brilliant guests,
went to the King, and requested the royal interfer-
ence. His Majesty observed to her Eoyal Highness
that Castellane was a great martinet, but that it
would be dangerous to interfere with his command ;
" however, when he comes to the Tuileries send him to
me." The Colonel, on making his appearance at the
palace, was ushered into the royal presence ; and the
King thus addressed him, " General Castellane, I am
happy to see you." " I beg your Majesty's pardon/'
replied the gallant officer, " I have no claim to the
title by which you have done me the honour to
notice me : I am Colonel Castellane." " Sir," said
the Monarch, " it gives me great pleasure to be the
first to announce your promotion : your commission
is already made out. I am certain you will serve
me as faithfully and honourably in a higher grade
as you have don© when your military rank was not
so great."

The General was of course, highly gratified ; so
also was the Lieutenant-colonel of his regiment,
upon whom, by this advancement, the command
necessarily devolved. The first step of the new
Colonel was of course to remove the officers from
the disagreeable position in which Colonel Castellane
had placed them ; and they had the gratification of
attending the ball at the Tuileries, where, of course,
the Duchesse de Berri gave them a welcome reception.

General Castellane shewed himself a gallant soldier,
and a determined opponent of mob-rule. Although
he did not abandon the service of his country when



30 The late Marshal Castellane.



it was under a republican government, he always
boldly proclaimed his preference for legitimacy.
When some tumultuous assemblages took place at
Eouen, he dispersed them by military force ; and
upon some of the functionaries of the clay observing
that he ought to have waited for orders from the
government, he unhesitatingly replied, " Had any of
the ministers themselves disturbed the public quiet
whilst the district is under my command, I should
shew them that I know my duty better than they
know theirs." He had afterwards the command at
Lyons, where he evinced on every occasion firmness
and decision. A telegraphic despatch from a private
hand announced the death of the Emperor ; and he
was advised to proclaim Henri the Fifth. A subse-
quent telegram summoned him to Paris, where he
attended the Emperor, who said to him, "Why, Gene-
ral, I learnt that you were a stanch Bourbouist,
and that I could place no dependence upon your
support." The General answered, '' Sire, it is true I
have always advocated the cause of legitimacy ; but
I have seen that the country submits to your rule
and is pleased with it. I have therefore taken the
oath of allegiance to you as my sovereign ; and I
can give my assurance that as long as your majesty
lives you will have no soldier more devoted to your
service than I am, and shall remain." The General
Avas shortly after elevated to the rank of Marshal in
the imperial service, and faithfully and steadily car-
ried out his principles of adhesion to the imperial
government.

He died not long since, greatly esteemed by his
brethren in arms, and much deplored at Lyons,
where he had for some time held the command.



The late General Gabriel. 31

There he spent a large sum in constructing a mag-
nificent mausoleum, in which his body now lies.
His funeral was gorgeous, as is usual with Marshals
of the Empire.

The Comte de Castellane, a near relation, was a
very eccentric character, but a great favourite in
Paris, where he gave large parties. He fitted up a
private theatre, where amateur performances by some
of the most fashionable persons collected together
the beau monde. His loss was severely felt last
year by a large number of persons, to whom he was
in the constant habit of extending a splendid hos-
pitality.

The late General Gabriel. — Whatever might
have been General Gabriel's abilities as a field-
officer, as a soldier his bravery was unquestionable.
He was the son of a clergyman, and was so hand-
some that he received the cognomen of " The Angel
Gabriel." On entering the army he had to make
his way in the service by the force of merit and
good fortune alone. Instances of his dashing and
headlong courage in the Peninsula caught the eye
of one of our celebrated general officers, the Hon-
ourable Sir William Stewart, who commanded the
division commonly known by the name of " The
Fighting Division," and he placed Gabriel upon his
staff. Upon one occasion, in the Pyrenees, Sir
William was not a little surprised to find that his
aide-de-camp was non est inventus ; and upon asking
his nephew, Lord Charles Churchill, what had be-
come of him, he was answered thus : — " Oh, Gabriel
having heard the roaring of cannon to our right, has
galloped off to enjoy the fun." Sir William Stewart,



32 Admiral la Susse.



addressing his staff, said, " Well, then, we cannot do
better than follow him ;" and off they went. On
reaching the pass of Eoncesvalles, to their aston-
ishment they saw Gabriel, at the head of a few
stragglers whom he had picked up on the way,
charge a bridge which the enemy were crossing,
and completely rout them. Sir William Stewart
was so delighted with this act of daring bravery,
that he recommended his young aide-de-camp for
promotion, which the Duke of Wellington ratified
in one of his earliest despatches to the Duke of
York.

Admikal la Susse. — Admiral Baron de la Susse,
well known in the best society of London and Paris,
was a great favourite of Louis Philippe's. He car-
ried his Majesty to Portsmouth in a French steam-
frigate on the occasion of his last visit to our gra-
cious Queen. During the Admiral's stay at Ports-
mouth, Lord Adolphus Fitzclarence was instructed
by the Admiralty to attend upon the French Ad-
miral, and to shew him the dockyard and forti-
fications. After visiting everything worth seeing,
Admiral de la Susse said he was much surprised
that our principal port was so badly fortified ; add-
ing that an enemy, with a few ships and ten thou-
sand infantry, could easily destroy the fortifications
and burn the arsenal. Soon after, the Duke of
Wellington happened to meet Lord Adolphus, who
mentioned the particulars of the conversation he
had had with the French Admiral , upon which the
Duke observed, that if a war were to break out
between us and France, and the French fleet were
permitted to cross the Channel, Portsmouth would



A dm iral la Susse. 3 3

stand but a bad chance. " But the Channel," added
his Grace, "is a nasty ditch to cross, and to bring
over ten thousand men at one given point ; and if
the enemy brought fewer, they would fail, and in
all probability be taken prisoners."

Admiral de la Susse, in his younger days, was
celebrated as a man of fashion. He was rather good-
looking, with a neat figure, and was very popular
in society. He was in his youth a very good
waltzer, and prided himself upon that accomplish-
ment ; but being unfortunately extremely short-
sighted, he consequently got himself frequently
into scrapes. At a ball given by a lady in the
Faubourg St Honore, La Susse, in a turn of the
waltz, accidentally, and without the slightest inten-
tion of insulting any one, came into violent contact
with a looker-on, who, in a German accent, ex-
claimed aloud, " Quand on est si maladroit, on ne
doit pas valzer." Cards were exchanged, and on
the following morning the parties met in the Bois
de Boulogne. La Susse's adversary won the toss,
and took his aim with great coolness, but luckily
without effect. La Susse then fired, when the Ger-
man fell. The seconds hastened to render every
assistance in their power ; but judge of their aston-
ishment when, instead of finding the German mor-
tally wounded, as they expected, they only found a
bullet indented against a well-padded cuirass. La
Susse, after looking attentively with his glass in his
eye at what was passing, desired his antagonist to
rise, as he would have another shot at him ; upon
which the cuirassed hero rose, and received a well-
merited and well-applied kick, without making the
slightest resistance, and then walked off the ground

P



34 Marshal Lobau.



as if he had accomplished some wonderful achieve-
ment. This extraordinary duel took place in 1816,
and was the subject of much conversation for a
leno-th of time in the fashionable circles in Paris.

At the commencement of the Crimean war, the
Admiral was named commander-in-chief of the
French fleet ; and when off the Piraeus, had gone on
shore to pass a few days up the country with some
friends, when unexpected orders came for the differ-
ent vessels under his command to weigh anchor, and
to proceed to a new destination immediately. The
Admiral, bent on his amusements, was not to be
found for three days ; and on this becoming known
to the Emperor, he was immediately superseded, and
Admiral Parseval Deschenes named in his place.
Poor La Susse never recovered from this dreadful
blow, and considered himself ever after as a dis-
graced and dishonoured man. He lingered on for
a few months, and may be said to have died of a
broken heart.

Marshal Lobau. — The famous General Mouton,
the bravest of the brave, was created Count of
Lobau for his heroic conduct in the desperate
attack upon the island of that name at the battle
of Wag-ram. His commanding figure and sten-
torian voice many persons now living may remem-
ber when as a marshal of France under Louis
Philippe, he commanded the National Guard He
was a most excellent man in all the relations of
lile, but of very parsimonious habits. One of his

of him m — deS rekted t0 me the followin S anecdote
General Mouton, who was a great favourite with



Montrond. 35



the Emperor Napoleon, was visiting his illustrious
chief one morning at the Tuileries, when his Ma-
jesty, happening to look out of the window* beheld
in the court-yard a very shabby-looking vehicle.
" Is that your carriage, Mouton % " asked the Em-
peror. " Yes, sire." " It is not fitting that one of
my bravest generals should go about in a hack-
ney coach." " Sire, I am not a Croesus, and can't
afford a better." The next day Mouton received
a cheque on the Bank of France for 300,000 francs,
(£12,000.) About a fortnight afterwards, General
Mouton again paid a visit to the Tuileries in the
same hackney coach. On looking out, the Em-
peror's countenance clouded over, and he looked
greatly displeased as he recognised the obnoxious
vehicle. " Did you not receive an order for
300,000 francs % " he inquired of the general.
" Yes, sire," replied Mouton, " and I am truly
grateful for the gift ; but if your Majesty insists
upon my spending it, I would rather return the
money."

Montrond. — At an evening party at Lady Gran-
ville's, at the Embassy in Paris, the whist table was
placed in the throne-room. The card party con-
sisted of the ambassador, J. Rothschild, Lamarc,
and Montrond. They were playing high points, or
stakes, when two ladies approached the table, and
in a suppliant manner begged the gentlemen would
aid them by giving a small pittance for some poor
persons who deserved their charity. Montrond,
annoyed at this demand, said, " Que voulez-vous,
mesdames 1 " " Monsieur, nous faisons la quete
pour les filles repenties." " Tres bien, tres bien,



36 Chateaubriand — Parson Ambrose.

madame, si elle sont repenties, je ne donne rien, ab-
solument rien ; mais pour les femtnes qui ne sont pas
repenties, j'irai moi-meme leur porter de l'argent."

Chateaubriand. — This great man passed many
years of his life in absolute poverty and distress in
London. He was even obliged to wash his own
linen. After the restoration of the Bourbons, Louis
XVIII. named Chateaubriand his ambassador in
England, and during this period his great delight
was to enumerate the many shifts he had employed
to keep body and soul together ; but what delighted
him more than all was to revisit the banks of the
Thames, near Chelsea, where he formerly washed his
shirts and stockings.

Parson Ambrose. — During the winter of 1816,
I had the honour to receive a general invitation to
the Sunday Soirees of the Duchess of Orleans, the
mother of Louis Philippe. Upon one occasion I re-
member seeing two celebrated ladies there, Madame
de Stael and Madame Eecamier. There were many
English present also. Among the most remarkable
was a gentleman known by the appellation of " Par-
son Ambrose," a natural son of Lord de Blaquiere's.
He was good-looking, and dressed like a gentleman
of the old regime. He wore black silk breeches, with
buckles both to his knees and shoes, and the frills
to his shirt were of the finest Malines lace. Sir
Charles Stewart, upon entering the saloon, beckoned
to the parson, who said, " Well, Sir Charles, I am in
a bad state." "What is the matter with you?"
" I have a complaint in the chest, your Excellency."
"What Doctor have you consulted'?" "Lafitte,"



Captain Wilding. 37

replied the parson. " I never heard of him except
as a banker. Well, what has he done for you % "
" Nothing." Sir Charles, now discovering the
meaning of the " chest complaint," said, in his good-
natured way, "Come to the Embassy to-morrow
morning, and I will see what can be done to cure
your complaint." The parson accordingly went,
and found the ambassador at breakfast with the
Duke of Wellington. After talking over olden
times, when the Duke was merely Captain Welles-
ley, and lived on intimate terms with the parson
in Dublin, his Grace kindly presented Ambrose with
a hundred guineas, to take him back to England for
change of air ; which, he trusted, would contribute
to the restoration of his health.

Captain Wilding. — After our corps d'armee,
under the command of Sir John Hope, had crossed
the Adour, we were ordered to advance as close as
possible under the walls of the town. Accordingly,
after suffering considerable loss, we succeeded in
investing the town and fortress. The enemy, not
contented with firing from the batteries, actually
brought a nine-pounder on to the high-road, half-
way from their stronghold. This gun did us great
injury, and I was witness to a very gallant act of
some of the infantry of the German Legion, which
effectually stopped any further loss. Captain Wild-
ing, who commanded a company of Hanoverians,
suddenly dashed out of a burial-ground to the left
of the road, rushed upon the gunners, bayoneted
them, and brought the gun in triumph into our
lines, amidst the loud cheers of our soldiers. In
this gallant exploit Captain Wilding was badly



38 The Church Militant— Louis XVIII.

wounded in the leg, and. was obliged to return to
England for his recovery ; but prior to his removal
he had. the satisfaction to see, in general orders, the
approval, by the Commander-in-chief, of his gallant
bearing in the capture of the gun. Captain Wilding
was a Hanoverian, and brother of Prince Butera, to
part of whose vast estates in Sicily he succeeded, and
is now known by the title of Prince Eadali, which
was bestowed upon him by the old King of Naples.

The Church Militant. — I was acquainted,
during the Peninsular war, with one of the army
chaplains, the Rev. Mr Frith, who was attached to
the Fifth Division. He considered it part of his duty
to attend the troops into action, and would fre-
quently expose himself, with them, to the hottest
fire. He shewed the greatest courage and devotion,
and rescued many wounded soldiers on several
occasions, performing these, and many other gallant
actions, as a matter of course and without any idea
of display ; for although a man of such remarkable
bravery, he was of a quiet and gentle demeanour.

I remember on one occasion being present when
a party of staff officers were trying to find a ford
for the passage of a deep and rapid stream by a
part of the army ; most of the horses refused the
water, when the reverend gentleman pushed forward,
saying, " I daresay my nag will take it," and he was
in a few minutes over on the other side and back
again. Mr Frith went by the name of " the fight-
ing parson " in his division, and was an admirable
and excellent specimen of the Church militant.

Louis XVIII. — Louis XVIII. was famous for his



The Bridge of Jena Saved. 3D

repartees. His Majesty being very infirm, could only
shew himself to his people in a carriage ; he could
not mount a horse, and had great difficulty in walk-
ing a few steps. He was very fond of having all the
news of Paris, and had numerous visitors during
the day, who related to him everything that hap-
pened. An ambassador of long-standing, the
Bailli de Ferrette, used to be a frequent attendant
at the Tuileries, and upon one occasion the King
said to the Bailli, " What news have you for me
to-day 1" "None worth communicating to your
Majesty/' said M. de Ferrette, "unless it is that the
people in Paris are beginning to. murmur because
their King is not able to ride and review his soldiers
as other sovereigns have done from time imme-
morial." His Majesty replied, "Oh, I suppose they
want a monarch who can ride well. Perhaps I had
better abdicate in favour of Franconi."

The Bridge of Jena Saved.— When Blucher
was meditating the destruction of the bridge of
Jena by blowing it up with powder, one of the old
generals of the Empire proceeded to the Tuileries,
saw the King, and mentioned what the Prussians
intended doing. Louis, enraged, cried out, " What
Vandalism ! 1 will place myself on the bridge and
be blown up with it, rather than so fine a monu-
ment should be destroyed." The King then sent
the Due de Guiche to mention to the Duke of
Wellington what had been communicated to him,
upon which our illustrious chief ordered his horse
and galloping off to the Guards' bivouacs in the
Bois de Boulogne, gave directions to Sir P Mait-
land to drive the Prussians off the bridge at



40 The Due de Grammont,

the point of the bayonet, coute que coute. The
Guards, on approaching the bridge, found the Prus-
sian engineers hard at work undermining ; but on
discovering we were bent on mischief, and that our
firelocks were loaded with ball cartridge, — only five
minutes being given them to remove all their pick-
axes and other implements, — they quietly marched
off, to the great mortification of the officer in com-
mand, and to the disgust of Marshal Blucher, who
never forgave Wellington for thwarting his purpose.

Louis XVIII. and Sosthenes de la Rochefou-
cauld. — A few days after the King's arrival in
Paris in 1814, Sosthenes de la Rochefoucauld col-
lected together a mob in the Place Vend6me, with
the intention of hurling from its pedestal the statue
of the Emperor, endeavouring at the same time to
pull down the pillar, which all the world has seen
and admired. Hundreds of ropes were held by the
mob, who pulled away with all their might for
several hours ; but, night coming on, they were
obliged to desist from their fruitless attempts. The
King, having been told of this outrageous conduct,
sent for Rochefoucauld and asked him whether he
had acted in the manner reported of him. The
Duke pleaded guilty, upon which the King said,
" You are playing the enemy's game ; it is by such
means I shall be made unpopular. For the future,
bear in mind that Louis XVIII. is King of France,
and not King of the Vandals."

The Due de Grammont. — The Due de Gram-
mont, better known as the Due de Guiche, was
the type and model of the real French gentleman



The Due de Gramrtiont. 41

and grand seigneur of the olden time. He was
the handsomest man at the court of the elder
branch of the Bourbons ; and during the Empire,
when in exile, had served in the English army
I knew him well in Spain, in 1813, when a Captain
in the 10th Hussars, and subsequently at Bordeaux,
in 1814, when he accompanied the Due d'Angou-
leme, and having then left our service, was arrayed
in a French uniform as aide-de-camp to the Dau-
phin. He spoke English perfectly, was quiet in
manner, and a most chivalrous, high-minded, and
honourable man. His complexion was very dark,
with crisp black hair curling close to his small,
well-shaped head. His features were regular and
somewhat aquiline, his eyes large, dark, and beau-
tiful ; and his manner, voice, and smile were con-
sidered by the fair sex to be perfectly irresistible.

He served with distinction as a general officer in
the Spanish campaign of 1823, and was specially
attached to the person of the Dauphin, whom he
was obliged to keep in great order. As is often the
case with princes, the Dauphin, or Due dAngou-
leme, as he was sometimes called, would frequently
emancipate himself, and take liberties with those
around him, if permitted to do so. Once, when
driving with the Due de G-uiche, the Prince, in his
somewhat ape-like manner, pinched his companion.
A few moments afterwards, the Duke returned the
caress with interest, to the great surprise of the
Dauphin, who started and turned angrily round, to
meet the winning, placid smile of his friend and
mentor.

The Duke was universally beloved and regretted;
and I should instance him as being, perhaps, the



42 The Montmorencies.



most perfect gentleman I ever met with in any
country.

The Montmorencies. — At this time, when a law-
suit is about to take place in France respecting the
rio-ht of a grandson, in the female line, of the late
Duke to assume the title of Duke of Montmorency,
it may not be uninteresting to call to mind how
illustrious a family is about to become extinct in
the male line.

The Montmorencies bore the title of first Chris-
tian Barons and Premier Barons of France, and have
been rendered illustrious by no less than ten con-
stables, and innumerable marshals, generals, car-
dinals, archbishops, and governors of princes. Their
alliances by marriage with the royal family have been
frequent ; and for ten consecutive centuries, the heads
of this great house have shone forth as the most
eminent personages in French history, and have held
the highest and most important offices in the state.

I remember the late Gaston de Montmorency,
Prince de Robecq, a most gallant, amiable, and
accomplished man, in whom all the hopes of the
family were centred, but who died in the prime of
life, a few years after the Revolution of 1830. He
used to say that he would never marry, for that tho
present age was not worthy to possess Mont-
morencies, now that the age of chivalry was gone,
and his country had fallen into the hands of Louis
Philippe and the Spiders of the Rue St Denis.
He kept his promise ; and at the present moment,
the only male representatives of this illustrious race
are the two Princes of Montmorency Luxembourg,
both aged men, who have no male descendants.



The Montmorencies. 43



The name was always a popular one with the
French people. The Montmorencies, though proud
and haughty to their equals, were kind, generous,
and charitable to their inferiors, arid were cele-
brated for the magnificence of their establishments.
Even in the days of "liberty, equality, and fra-
ternity," and at periods of revolutionary excesses,
the name of Montmorency has always inspired a
certain respect ; even the fiercest Bepublicans have
felt a sort of pride when the name of this ancient
and illustrious race has been pronounced before
them.

In England and, strange to say, in Africa there
are still supposed to be iiving descendants of the
earlier chiefs of this family. The ancient Irish
sept of Macmorris, or Morris, who have taken the
name of Montmorency within the last fifty years,
and possess the Irish titles of Mountm orris and
Frankfort, claim descent— and, I believe, on Well-
grounded evidence — from Herve de Montmorency,
in the eleventh century. They have, however, in
taking the name, committed a great error in assum-
ing the motto of Dieu ayde, which was not the
devise of their supposed ancestor, but adopted for
the first time by one of the Constables of France,
a Montmorency who lived several hundred years
afterwards.

With regard to Africa, it is well known to all
French officers who have been quartered at Oran,
that there is in the neighbourhood of that town an
Arab tribe which bears the name of " Momoransi,"
and which is very proud of the family ; and the
tradition is, that they are the descendants of an
illustrious French leader in the First Crusade.



The Montmorencies.



Curiously enough, the Irish and Arab offshoots
of the family must have separated from the parent
stem at about the same time, and have been fourth
or fifth in descent from " Bouchard ; " for by that
not very harmonious name the patriarch of the
Montmorencies was first known. But I much fear
that the female ancestress of these Arab chiefs
must have gone astray with the pious crusader, and
that they are only illegitimate descendants of the
Montmorencies ; for in all the old chronicles of the
time there is not a single instance of a Christian
knight havino- intermarried with an infidel.

This calls to my recollection a story I have
heard of a Duke of Montmorency in the reign of
Louis XV., who was married to a lady of ancient
family and great beauty ; but, like many nobles of
that time, he was not quite a model of what
husbands ought to be, and lived a very riotous and
improper life. He even went so far as to appear
in public with the celebrated dancer, Mademoiselle
Guimard, about whom all the young men of the
day were raving. One night, on the Duchess enter-
ing her box at the opera with several friends, she
beheld, to her horror and amazement, the Duke, her
husband, seated at the back of the pit box in which
the charming dancer displayed her charms. What-
ever might be done in private, in those days a
certain decorum was preserved in public, and the
appearance of the Duke in Guimard's box was
an outrage which the Duchess could not endure.
She sent one of the gentlemen who were with her
to request her husband's immediate presence, and
thus addressed the astonished culprit : '• I have
always been a devoted and faithful wife ; but let



Ouvrard, the Financier. 45

roe warn you in time. If you ever again commit
such an outrage, remember this, that you cannot
make Montmorencies without me, and I can make
them without your assistance." The Duke's pride
and fear were roused by this very broad hint ,
and it is said that he, from that time, reformed,
and became ever after le modele des peres et des
epoux.

Ouveard, the Financier. — Before the French
Eevolution, the largest fortunes in France were pos-
sessed by the farmers of the revenue, or fermiers-
generaux. Their profits were enormous, and their
probity was very doubtful. It is related that one
evening at Ferney, when the company were telling
stories of robbers, they asked their host, Voltaire,
for one on the same subject. The great man, tak-
ing up his flat candlestick, when about to retire,
began, " There was once upon a time a fermier-
general — I have forgotten the rest."

The prodigality, magnificence, and ostentation of
these Croesuses were the subject of every play and
every satire ; and when the bloody tribunals of
1793 ruled over France, their fortunes were confis-
cated, and very few of the fermiers - generaux
escaped the fate which many of them had well
deserved.

At that unhappy period, just before the fall of
Eobespierre, the funds fell to 7, and shortly after
his execution and the establishment of the Directory,
they rose to 40. By such fluctuations many large
fortunes were made by speculators and army con-
tractors ; they were protected by the very corrupt
chief of the Directory, Barras, and realised enormous



46 Ouvrard, the Financier.

sums. The most prominent among the latter was
Ouvrard, a man sprung from a very humble origin,
but of very great financial capacity. During his
long career of success, which lasted from the latter
part of the last century till 1830, he made and
spent millions of money He was ruined by
making lame sales on the funds, under the ex-
pectation that the government of Louis Philippe
could not stand. He was born in 1770, and his
first operation, which consisted in buying up all the
paper made in Poitou and Angoumois and retailing
it at immense profit to the Paris booksellers, laid
the foundation of his fortune. He soon afterwards
made a contract for provisioning the Spanish fleet,
which had joined the French squadron in 1797, and
made a net profit of £600,000. In 1800, he was
supposed to possess a fortune of a million and a half
of English money. Soon after, he had the contract
for supplying the French army in the campaign
which closed with the battle of Marengo. His
prosperity continued for many years; and, in 1812,
the Government owed him, for enormous advances
made by him, nearly three millions of English
money. He was munitionnaire-gSneral for the
AVaterloo campaign; and, in 1823, contracted to
supply the Due d'Angouleme with everything neces-
sary for the entry of the French army into Spain
in IS 23, but the non-fulfilment of his contract en-
tailed heavy losses upon him, and in 1830 he was
completely ruined.

No man was more reckless in his expenditure, or
more magnificent in his manner of living, than
Ouvrard. At the time of the Directory, theses
given by him at Le Eaincy were the theme of the



Ouvrard, the Financier. 47

whole of Parisian society of that time. At his
splendid villa near Eueil, during the Empire, he
was in the habit of giving suppers to all the corps
de ballet of the opera twice a week ; and he used to
send several carriages, splendidly equipped, to bear
away the principal female performers when the per-
formance was over. There an enormous white
marble bath, as large as an ordinary-sized saloon,
was prepared for such of the ladies as, in the sum-
mer, chose to bathe on their arrival. Then a splen-
did supper was laid out, of which the fair bathers,
and many of the pleasure-seekers of the day, par-
took ; and, besides every luxury of the culinary art,
prepared by the best cooks in Paris, each lady
received a donation of fifty louis, and the one fortu-
nate enough to attract the especial notice of the
wealthy host, a large sum of money.

Mademoiselle Georges, the celebrated tragedian
of that day, cost him (as he was fond of relating)
two millions one hundred thousand francs for a
single visit. He had invited her to sup with him
at his villa, but the very day she was to come, a
note informed him that she was compelled to give
up the pleasure of supping with him, as the Emperor
Napoleon had given her a rendezvous for the same
hour, which she dared not refuse. Ouvrard was
furious at this contretemps, and (as he said when I
heard him tell the story) he could not bear to yield
the pas to "le petit Bonaparte,'' whom he had
known as a young Captain of artiller}^, too happy to
be invited to his house in the days of the Directory.
This feeling, and his pride of wealth, got the better
of his prudence, and he sent to Mademoiselle Georges
to insist upon her coming to Eueil, adding, as a



4S Madame de Stael.



postscript, that she would find a hundred thousand
francs sous le plis de sa serviette at supper. This
last argument was irresistible, the lady sent an
excuse to the Emperor, pleading a sudden indispo-
sition, and was borne rapidly in one of Ouvrard's
carriages to his country residence.

The following day the great financier received a
summons forthwith to appear at the Tuileries, and
was ushered into the Emperor's presence. After
walking once or twice up and down the room, the
great man turned sharply round on his unwilling
guest, and, with his eagle glance riveted on Ouv-
rard's face, sternly demanded, " Monsieur, how much
did you make by your contract for the army at the
beginning of the year?" The capitalist knew it
was in vain to equivocate, and replied, " Four mil-
lions of francs, sire." " Then, sir, you made too
much ; so pay immediately two millions into the
Ireasurv

a/

Ouvrard passed several years in prison for a con-
siderable debt owed by him to Seguin, another army
contractor; but lie lived magnificently even when
in prison, and his creditor, strange to say, used
frequently to go and dine with him there. I saw
Ouvrard shortly before his death, which took place
in 1846.

Madame de Stael. — I frequently met the famous
Madame de Stael in Paris during the years 1815
and 1816. She was constantly at Madame Crau-
ford's, in the Eue d'Anjou St Honored and at Lady
Oxford's, in the Rue de Clichy. She was very kind
and affable to all the English, and delighted to find
herself once more in sight and smell of the ruisseau



Madame de Stael. 49



de la Rue du Bal, which she once said she preferred
to all the romantic scenery of Switzerland and Italy
She was a large, masculine-looking woman, rather
coarse, and with a thoracic development worthy of
a wet nurse. She had very fine arms, which she
took every opportunity of displaying, and dark,
Hashing eyes, beaming with wit and genius.

Her career was a chequered one, and her history
is a romance. The only child of the Minister
Necker, in troublous times she married the Swedish
ambassador at Paris, the Baron de Stael, in 1786.
Full of great and noble sentiments, she took up
the cause of the unfortunate Louis XVI. and his
Queen with generous ardour. She arranged a plan
of escape for the King in 1792, and did not fear to
present to the revolutionary tribunal, in 1793, a
petition in favour of Marie-Antoinette. She re-
mained in Paris during the Directory ; and it was
under her influence and protection that Talleyrand
obtained office in 1796. She was always opposed
to Napoleon, and was exiled by him from Paris in
1802. She returned, however, and her presence was
tolerated till the appearance of her book " De l'Alle-
magne," the sentiments and allusions of which were
decidedly hostile to the imperial despotism which
then oppressed nearly the whole of Europe. The
book was seized by the Emperor's police, and Madame
de Stael was again exiled, and did not return till
1815 to Paris, where she died in 1817, aged fifty-one.

Admirable as her writings were, her conversation
surpassed them. She was " well up " on every sub-
ject — "nihil quod tetigit non omavit." Her salons
were filled with all the most celebrated persons of
her time. The statesmen, men of science, poets,

D



50 Madame de Stael



lawyers, soldiers, and divines, who crowded to hear
her, were astounded at her eloquence and erudition.
Disdain and contempt for her personal charms or
mental -powers -was one of the causes of the hatred
she had vowed to the first Napoleon ; and, unequal
as a contest between the greatest sovereign of the
age and a woman would at first sight appear, there
is no doubt that, by her writings and her sarcastic
sayings, which were echoed from one end of Europe
to the other, she did him much injury.

Talleyrand, when he married Madame Grand, a
beautiful but illiterate idiot, said he did so to repose
himself after the eternally learned and eloquent dis-
courses of Madame de Stael, with whom he had been
very intimate. On one occasion, alluding to her
masculine intellect and appearance, while she was
holding forth at great length, he said, "Elle est
homme a parler jusqu'a. demain matin." At an-
other time, when he was with her in a boat, and
she was talking of courage and devotion, qualities
in which the ci-devant bishop was notoriously defi-
cient, she put the question, " What would you do if
I were to fall into the water 1 " Looking at her
from head to foot, he answered, " Ab, madam, you
must be such a good swimmer," ("voits savez si
bien nager")

A pretty saying of Madame de Stael's is cited,
which shewed her good taste and good feeling. A
person in a large company, in beholding her and
Madame Recamier, — the most beautiful woman in
France, and who prided herself not so much on her
personal appearance as on her intellectual gifts, —
said, " Here is wit " (pointing to Madame de Stael)
"and' beauty," (pointing to Madame Eecamier.)



Madame de Steel 51

Madame de Stael answered, " This is the first time
I was ever praised for my beauty "

The person in England who was the great object
of Madame de StaeTs admiration, and in the praise
of whom she was never wearr, was Sir James
Mackintosh, one of the greatest men of the age, and
certainly the best read man of the day She also
lived on most intimate terms with the celebrated
orator and publicist, Benjamin Constant : but her
liaison was supposed to be a Platonic one : indeed,
she was secretly married, in IS 10, to M. de Eocca, a
young officer of hussars, who was wounded in Spain,
and who wrote a very interesting account of the
Peninsular war.

Madame de Stael was perhaps at times a little
overpowering, and totally deficient in those "bril-
liant flashes of silence " which Sydney Smith once
jokingly recommended to Macaulay In fact, as a
Scotchman once said of Johnson, she was " a robust
genius, born to grapple with whole libraries, and a
tremendous conversationist.' - '

A story is told of the Duke of Marlborough,
great-grandfather of the present Duke, which always
amused me. The Duke had been for some time a
confirmed hypochondriac, and dreaded anything
that could in any way ruffle the tranquil monotony
of his existence. It is said that he remained for
three years without pronouncing a single word, and
was enterino; the fourth vear of his silence, when he
was told one morning that Madame la Baronne de
Stael, the authoress of "Corinne," was on the point of
arriving to pay him a visit. The Duke immediately
recovered his speech, and roared out, " Take me away
— take me away !" to the utter astonishment of the



t) -J



Mademoiselle le Normand.



circle around him, who all declared that nothing
but the terror of this literary visitation could have
put an end to this long and obstinate monomania.

A Feminine Foible. — During the first Empire,
the great ladies of the Faubourg St Germain (like
ladies of all times) were very shy of divulging their

ao-es. The Duchess of S , once beautiful and

replete with wit, was congratulating herself on her
youthful looks, and pretending that she was born at
least twenty years later than she really was, when her
daughter, more beautiful than her mother, endeav-
oured to put a stop to her exaggerations by crying
aloud, " mamma, do leave at least nine months
between our ages ! "



o



Mademoiselle le Normand. — One of the most
extraordinary persons of my younger days was the
celebrated fortune-teller, Mademoiselle le Normand.
Her original residence was in the Eue de Tournon,
but at the time of which I write she lived in the
Eue des St Peres. During the Kestoration, the
practice of the " black art " was strictly forbidden
by the police, and it was almost like entering a
besieged citadel to make one's way into her sanctum
sanctorum.

I was first admitted into a good-sized drawing-
room, plainly but comfortably furnished, with books
and newspapers lying about, as one sees them at a
dentist's. Two or three ladies were already there,
who, from their quiet dress and the haste with
which they drew down their veils, or got up and
looked out of the window, evidently belonged to
the upper ten thousand. Each person was sum-



Mademoiselle le Normand. 53

moned by an attendant to the sibyl's boudoir, and
remained a considerable time, disappearing by some
other exit without returning to the waiting-room.
At last I was summoned by the elderly servant to
the mysterious chamber, which opened by secret
panels in the walls, to prevent any unpleasant
surprises by the police. I confess that it was
not without a slight feeling of trepidation that
I entered the small square room, lighted from
above, where sat Mademoiselle le Normand in all
her glory.

It was impossible for imagination to conceive a
more hideous being. She looked like a monstrous
toad, bloated and venomous. She had one wall-
eye, but the other was a piercer. She wore a fur
cap upon her head, from beneath which she glared
out upon her horrified visitors. The walls of the
room were covered with huge bats, nailed by their
wings to the ceiling, stuffed owls, cabalistic signs,
skeletons — in short, everything that was likely to
impress a weak or superstitious mind. This malig-
nant-looking Hecate had spread out before her
several packs of cards, with all kinds of strange
figures and ciphers depicted on them. Her first
question, uttered in a deep voice, was whether you
would have the grand or 'petit jeu, which was
merely a matter of form. She then inquired your
age, and what was the colour and the animal you
preferred. Then came, in an authoritative voice,
the word "Coupez," repeated at intervals, till the
requisite number of cards from the various packs
were selected and placed in rows side by side. No
further questions were asked, and no attempt was
made to discover who or what you were, or to watch



54 Mademoiselle le Normand.



upon your countenance the effect of the revelations.
She neither prophesied smooth things to you nor
tried to excite your fears, but seemed really to be-
lieve in her own power. She informed me that I
was un militaire, that I should be twice married
and have several children, and foretold many other
events which have also come to pass, though I did not
at the time believe one word of the sibyl's prediction.

Mademoiselle le Normand was born in 1768, and
was already celebrated as a fortune-teller so early
as 1790. She is said to have predicted to the un-
fortunate Princesse de Lamballe her miserable death
at the hands of the infuriated populace. She is also
reported to have been frequently visited and con-
sulted by Eobespierre aud St Just ; to have reported
his downfall to Danton, at that time the idol of the
people ; to have warned the famous General Hoche
of his approaching death by poison ; to have foretold
to Bernadotte a northern throne, and to Moreau
exile and an untimely grave.

The Empress Josephine, who, like most Creoles,
was very superstitious, used frequently to send for
Mademoiselle le Normand to the Tuileries, and put
great faith in her predictions; which she always
asserted in after years had constantly been verified.
But, unfortunately for the sibyl, she did not content
herself with telling Josephine's fortune, but actually
ventured to predict a future replete with malignant
influences to the Emperor himself. This rash con-
duct entailed upon her great misfortunes and a lono-
imprisonment ; but she survived all her troubles,
and died as late as 1S43, having long before given
up fortune-telling, by which she had amassed a
large sum of money.



Louis Philippe and Marshal Soult. 55

An Ominous Fall. — I remember Count d'Orsay
telling me that on the day previous to the appear-
ance of the celebrated ordonnances, or decrees of
July 27, 1830, which caused the Ee volution
and drove Charles X. from the throne, his sister,

the Duchesse de G , niece by marriage tG

Prince- Polignac, and a violent Eoyalist, was seated
at the piano, playing and singing with triumphant
vigour, " La victoire est a nous," when suddenly the
music-stool gave way, and the beautiful Duchess
lay sprawling on the floor. D'Orsay, who was a
Liberal, assured her, laughingly, that this fall in the
midst of her Legitimist song was de tres mauvais
augur e, and a bad prognostic for the success of the
party to which she belonged. He did not at the
time believe his own prophecy, so firmly did the
Bourbons appear to be established ; but before the
end of the month Charles X. had left France, and
was followed by the fair Duchess and her husband,
the most faithful friends and adherents of the fallen
monarch, and as true to him in adversity as when
he shone forth as one of the most powerful sove-
reigns of Europe.

Louis Philippe and Marshal Soult. — Louis
Philippe's cunning was proverbial, and he shewed
great talent and ingenuity in managing his minis-
ters ; but he had great difficulties to encounter. The
most exigeant of all his officials was the celebrated
Marshal Soult, who was perpetually asking the
King for some place or appointment for one or
other of his friends or relations, to the disgust of
Louis Philippe. Upon one occasion, when all the
ministers had assembled in the royal closet, the



56 Decamps and the Duke of Orleans.



King, observing that the Marshal appeared dis-
pleased, inquired, "What is the matter, Marshal?"
"Oh, nothing, sire; except that I intend ^ giving
into your Majesty's hands my resignation." This
untoward and unexpected announcement alarmed
the rest of the ministers, who, one and all, inti-
mated that in such case they also must tender their
resignations. The King, not alarmed in the slightest
decree, requested the Marshal would follow him
into his private room, and begged the rest of the
ministers to remain until his return. The inter-
view lasted a considerable time, and the King, fear-
ing that he had kept the ministers too long waiting,
and that their patience was exhausted, popped his
head into the council-room, crying out, " A little
more patience, gentlemen. All will be well ; for
the Marshal and myself have already shed tears."
The truth became known the following day ; at all
events it was generally whispered that Soult bad
frightened the King out of a promise that all places
of emolument and advancement in the army should
centre in him, which promise was religiously ad-
hered to until Soult left the ministry of war.

Decamps and the Duke of Orleans. — Some
twenty years back, or thereabout, I was break-
fasting with my late lamented friend, Lord H.
Seymour, when Decamps, the celebrated painter,
was announced. During breakfast Decamps told
us the following anecdote, which, he said, had oc-
curred the day before : — A gentleman called at his
lodging, on the third story, and asked the porter
if M. Decamps was at home, and being answered in
the affirmative, the visitor was about to ascend the



Fashion in Paris. 57

staircase wnen the porter called after him, and said,
" As you are about to visit the artist, perhaps you
will have no objection to carry with you his trousers,
which I have just mended." " By all means," re-
plied the stranger ; " I shall be happy to render you
this little service." Arriving at the door, the visitor
rang the bell, and Decamps, on opening the door, to
his utter amazement, recognised the Duke of Orleans,
who laughingly presented to him the trousers he had
received from the porter. This little anecdote is one
dut of many I could relate to illustrate the truly
amiable character and unaffected simplicity of the
lamented heir of Louis Philippe's throne.

Fashion in Paris. — It has been said of the
French that they are constant only in their fickle-
ness, worshipping one day what they execrate the
next, and throwing down with their own hands from
its pedestal the idol they themselves had set up a
few weeks before. But there is one deitv to whom
they have never proved faithless ; at whose shrine
they bow with the same devotion to-day as they did
centuries ago, whose fiat is law, and whose dictates
none dare resist. This capricious, exacting, ever-
changing goddess is Fashion.

I remember once expressing my admiration for a
very handsome, charming lady, in the presence of a
Parisian "man-milliner of modern days." During
all my encomiums the Gaul preserved a stern silence.

" Do you not admire Lady X V I asked, rather

provoked by his disdainful looks. " She has purple
gloves — c'est une femme jugee," he replied, with a
look of supreme contempt, which was truly amus-
ing to behold. Though it is now the fashion in



58 Fashion in Paris.



Paris to imitate the fast generation of perfidious
Albion in many articles of dress, such as looped-up
petticoats, wideawake hats, nets for the hair, and
Balmoral boots, in former days no English lady
who had not been brought up at the feet of some
female Parisian Gamaliel, could be supposed by any
possibility to know anything about la toilette.

Many years ago I was asked one day to dine

with the late Lord Pembroke, to meet Lord C ,

and a goodly array of French Elegants. Eveu
after this lapse of years I can still smile at the re-
collection of the anxiety with which these gentlemen
— among whom, by the by, was the handsome Henri
de Noailles, afterwards Due de Mouchy — awaited
the arrival of the celebrated London dandy. At
length the great man was announced ; for, true to
London rule, he came last, and long after the hour
fixed for dinner. There was no one more agreeable

or cleverer than Lord C , and no one, at the

time of which I write, was more the fashion in
London ; but to appreciate him one required to be
accustomed to his peculiar appearance and rather
eccentric manner. Short of stature, and rather in-
clined to be obese, even at five-and-twentv, he wore
a coat very much thrown open, a variety of splendid
jewels adorning a transparent cambric shirt elabo-
rately embroidered, and (oh, tell it not in Gath !)
an exceedingly short, rose-coloured waistcoat, just
covering his ample chest, and cutting his somewhat
square-built torso exactly in two. Add to this,
very long, straight, straw-coloured hair, which he
had the habit of throwing continually back, or, by a
rapid gesture, bringing forward to fall over his wild
but very expressive eyes, and his tout ensemble ap-



Fashion in Paris. 59



peared, to French notions, very strange indeed :
the Parisian exquisites could hardly believe that
they saw before them the Lovelace, the Jieur des
pois of English society, of whom they had heard
so much.

Those who, like myself, are old enough to recol-
lect the beautiful Lady Blessington in her brightest
days, can remember that she always wore a peculiar
costume, chosen with artistic taste to suit exactly
her style of beauty. The cap she was in the habit
of wearing has been drawn in Chalon's portrait of
her, well known from the print in the " Keepsake,"
and in all the shop windows of the day. It was
" a mob-cap " behind, drawn in a straight line over
the forehead, where, after a slight fulness on each
temple, giving it a little the appearance of wings, it
was drawn down close over the cheeks, and fastened
under the chin. Nothing could have been more cun-
ningly devised to shew off the fine brow and beauti-
fully-shaped oval face of the deviser, or to conceal
the too great width of the cheeks, and a premature
development of double chin. Lady Blessington had
also a style of dress suitable to her figure, which
was full, but then not " of o'er-grown bulk." She
always wore white in the morning, a thick muslin
dress, embroidered in front and lined with some
bright colour, and a large silk bonnet and cloak
to match. This was her costume in London, but,
on her arrival in Paris, two or three French ladies
got hold of her, declared she was horriblement
fagotee, aud insisted on having her dressed in
quite a different style by a fashionable modiste;
they managed so completely to transform her that
in the opinion of myself and all who had seen her in



GO Fashion in Paris.



England, her defects were brought out, and all her
beauty disappeared. But, nevertheless, in her new
and unbecoming attire, she was pronounced char-
mante by a jury of fashionable dames, and forced,
nolens volens, to take an eternal farewell to the
lovely and becoming costumes of her youth.

Fashion has such a wonderful power over the
French mind, that it can actually transform the
body so as to suit the exigency of the moment.
In former days, we old fellows may remember that
the French type of womankind was une petite
femme mignonne et brune. In the whole of society,
thirty or forty years ago, one could scarcely have
numbered more than half-a-dozen tall women.
They were looked upon as anomalies, and saluted
not unfrequently with such very uncomplimentary
appellations as " chameaux gensdarmes," " asperges,"
&c, &c. Now that it is the fashion to be tall and
commanding, one sees dozens of gigantic women
every day that one goes out, with heels inside as
well as outside their boots ; perhaps even stilts
under those long sweeping petticoats. I know
not how the change has been effected, but there
it is.

Frenchwomen used to have dark hair ; blondes
were not generally admired, and tried by every
possible means to darken their hair ; but now, since
the Empress has made fair hair d la mode, all
the women must be blondes, and what with gold
powder and light wigs they do succeed. As to
complexions, a dark one is now unknown ; roses
and lilies abound on every cheek : even some
young men of fashion have not disdained the use
of cosmetics, but have come out from the hands



Fashion in Paris. 6 1

of the coiffeur romantically pale or delicately
tinted.

Fashion is very capricious, and it does not suf-
fice to sit in high places in order to govern la
mode. With the exception of the Duke of Orleans,
so prematurely cut off in the flower of his youth,
not one of Louis Philippe's family, male or female,
ever exercised the smallest influence over this capri-
cious goddess. There were young and handsome
princesses, always well and tastefully dressed, but
they were pronounced rococo; and no one ever
dreamt of wearing any particular bonnet or cloak,
because the beautiful Duchesse de Nemours, or the
graceful Princesse de Joinville had appeared in a
similar one.

It is not because the Empress Eugenie is the
wife of Napoleon III. that she sets the fashion, even
to those who don't go to court, and who turn up
their noses at her entourage. She is consider-
ably older and certainly not handsomer than was
the Duchesse de Nemours, when she left France to
die in exile ; but she has the chic, if I may use
such a word, that the Orleans princesses did not
possess ; and the quietest dowager, before she ven-
tures to adopt a coiffure, as well as the gayest
lady of the demi-monde, will cast a look to see
what the Empress wears. Strange to say, the
supreme good taste and elegance which reign in
her Majesty's toilettes were by no means con-
spicuous in her younger days ; for, as Mademoiselle
Montijo, she was voted beautiful and charming, but
very ill-dressed.

The style of French cookery has also changed as
completely as the style of dress, at the dictates of



62 Fashion in Paris.

Fashion. Modern attire and modern cookery are alike
over ornamented. Thirty years ago, simplicity in
dress, especially in the morning, was the right thing :
if by any extraordinary chance a Parisian lady of
rank condescended to take a walk, (a rare occur-
rence,) she could only be remarked by the extreme
plainness and neatness of her attire ; and any article
of dress that could in anywise resemble what might
be worn by the lorette of that day was studiously
shunned. To be taken for anything of a lower
grade than what she was, and spoken to by an un-
known person, would have been looked on as an
insult so great that the humiliating incident would
never have been breathed to mortal ear ; but now-a-
days it is considered only a good joke. How
astonished and horror-struck would be the great
ladies of the Eestoration, if they could rise from their
graves and behold their granddaughters emulating
the demi-monde in their dress, language, and man-
ners ; qffichant their liaisons in the sight of the sun ;
walking into their lovers' houses unveiled, undis-
guised, or riding with them publicly, and having
their carriages called under their own names at the
restaurants, or small theatres, where they have been
tete-d-tcte !

The dignified, artful, proud, but perhaps not more
virtuous, grandmother would have been unutter-
ably disgusted, not so much at the immorality as
at the bad taste displayed in such arrangements ;
which then existed just as much as now, but were
supposed to be unknown. Great was the amuse-
ment of the clever and charming Lady G , at

one of her small receptions thirty years ago, at see-
ing the celebrated statesman, Comte M , salut-



Fashion in Paris. 63

ing in the most respectful and distant manner, and
with, all the formal politeness of la vieille cour,

the Comtesse de C , with whom it was supposed

that he had long been on terms of more than
friendly intimacy, and whom he had probably left
but a few hours before. The lady, without even
extending the "shake hands" now so much in
vogue, returned the salutation by an equally re-
served and dignified courtesy ; and a minute after

this formal greeting, Lady G overheard the

elderly minister, in a voice full of enthusiastic
admiration, address the middle-aged lady thus,
"Pauline, tu as 15 ans !"

I am sorry to say that esclandres, or scandals
which made a noise in the world, were supposed to
be perpetrated by my countrywomen alone. Comte
Alfred de Maussion, a very dark, handsome man,
who was a great Lovelace, especially amongst the
English ladies some forty years ago, used to say,
" Those charming Englishwomen are really tres corn-
promettantes. They are not happy if they do not
run away from their stupid, good-natured husbands,
who only ask to be permitted to shut their eyes and
see nothing."

Certainly in these modern times the order of things
is reversed. Frenchmen need not take the trouble
of publishing their successes with their own country-
women ; their victims are only too happy to relate
them : indeed, modern French husbands would con-
sider their wives very rococo and provinciales,
if they had not at least one cicisbeo to follow in
their train. Le mari trompe exists now only in the
drama or novel. His eyes are wide open ; no one
tries to deceive him ; and he is perfectly satisfied.



Gi Literary Salons in France.

Literary Salons in France. — One of the most
agreeable salons in Paris was held by the late Madame
Emile de Girardin, the Mrs Norton of France. Like
our own gifted countrywoman, she was endowed not
only with poetic genius, but likewise with great con-
versational wit and much personal beauty.

She was a tall, good-looking woman, with the as-
pect of a Muse, or rather of what one fancies a Muse
ought to be. She had an abundance of beautiful
fair hair, large blue eyes, an aquiline nose, and very
fine teeth, and bore a striking resemblance to the
pictures of Marie-Antoinette. She was also some-
what like the beautiful Duchesse de Guiche, (mother
of the French ambassador at Vienna ;) but it was
remarked that she looked like the case in which
Madame de Guiche had been laid, being of coarser
build, and with larger features ; though in in-
tellectual gifts Madame de Girardin was consider-
ably the other lady's superior.

She had many great and estimable qualities. Her
mind and heart, like her outward frame, were on a
large and grand scale. She was above all the little-
nesses that too often disfigure women's characters.
She was (a rare thing in a woman) an enthusiastic
admirer of beauty even in her own sex, and took
pleasure in drawing round her the women most dis-
tinguished for their personal or mental qualities.
She possessed a peculiar knack of making her guests
appear to the best advantage, drawing them out,
and placing them in the little circle where they
would be sure to shine and be appreciated ; for she
felt that she could afford to subdue the lio-ht of her
brilliant wit, and allow the little glowworms around
her to twinkle to their own satisfaction.



Literary Salons in France. 65

You were sure to meet in the salon of Madame
E. de Girardin all the celebrities of the day, whether
fashionable, literary, or political — Lamartine, Balzac,
Dumas, Frederic Soulie, Emile Souvestre, Theophile
Gautier, with the Dukes and Counts of the Faubourg
St Germain, Orleanist deputies, and the handsome
Englishwomen who nsed to gladden Parisian eyes
and win Parisian hearts.

Every one felt at ease, — the women looked their
best, the men made themselves agreeable, and the
charming hostess seemed happy in the enjoyment of
those around her.

Any one who wishes in some degree to appre-
ciate the brilliant and vivacious wit of Madame
E. de Girardin may obtain some idea of it by read-
ing the charming " Lettres Parisiennes," published
under the pseudonyme of Vicomtesse de Launay ;
though (admirable as they are) they give only a
dim reflection of that true esprit Franpais, which
Madame de Girardin possessed in its highest per-
fection, and the great charm of which lies in quick
repartees and the d propos of the moment.

In addition to her great gifts as a prose writer,
she was also a poetess of the highest order ; and her
pieces de theatre enjoyed the greatest popularity, and
met with well-deserved success.

Though in reality far superior to her husband,
both in cleverness and judgment, she had a high
and even exaggerated opinion of his merits as a poli-
tician. In the darkest days of that melancholy ex-
periment yclept the Republique Franpaise of 1848,
an intimate friend was sitting one morning in Madame
de Girardin's boudoir. They were lamenting over
the miserable state of things which had succeeded

E



66 Literary Salons in France.

the era of constitutional liberty. After discussing
the dangers and difficulties of the moment, Madame
de Girardin added, with a grave expression of coun-
tenance, and a deeper intonation of voice, " Happily,
there is one above who can restore order and tran-
quillity to the country ; and he alone can save us."
The visitor, somewhat astonished at what he
thought a pious observation coming from a lady of
rather Voltairian principles, muttered out some-
thing about Providence, and good coming out of
evil. " That 's not the question," said Madame de
Girardin ; <: I am not talking about Providence,
but of my husband, who is at this moment over-
head, and engaged in writing an article for the
Presse, which will appear to-morrow, and set every-
thing to rights/'

Madame de Girardin and her sister, Madame
O'Donnell, a very clever and agreeable, but less
good-natured woman, both inherited their great
gifts from their mother, Madame Sophie Gay, the
celebrated authoress of " Les Malheurs d'un Amant
Heureux," and other novels, much appreciated some
thirty or forty years ago.

Salons like that of the gifted Madame Emile de
Girardin are extremely rare now-a-days, owing
greatly to the unlimited extension of what is called
society ; and also, perhaps, in some measure, to the
strong line of demarcation drawn by political
animosity. The thirst for noisy active pleasure has
well-nigh destroyed the charming little coteries of
the olden time, where men did not think it be-
neath them to be well-bred and amiable, where they
consented to speak of other things besides their
horses and mistresses, and where women were not



Literary Salons in France. 67

satisfied with being pretty and well-dressed, but
aimed also at being thought clever and agreeable.

One of the pleasantest of these salons was that
of the Comtesse Merlin. In a different way, that
lady was almost as remarkable a person as Madame
Emile de Girardin. She was a Spanish Creole by
birth ; and though even when I made her acquaint-
ance, some thirty years ago, she was what our
English novelists call " somewhat embonpoint" her
beauty was still of the very highest order. Her face
was one which, once beheld, could never be forgotten ;
the perfect oval of the contour, the small regular
features, fine brow, and dark flashing eyes were in
perfect harmony. Though she had the Spanish
defect of a too long corsage, and a somewhat
thick waist, yet her bust and arms were faultless.

And she was not only surpassingly beautiful, but
possessed a voice equal to those of any of the first-
rate singers who have appeared upon the stage.
She could sing with Malibran, Grisi, Rubini, and
Tamburini, without appearing out of place. In her
latter years what once had been so great a charm
became the terror of her friends ; for she did not
feel her declining powers, and her voice, which had
become uncertain, and even hoarse, sounded in her
own ears as mellow and enchanting; as ever. She
was one of those who will not grow old. As she
approached sixty, her gowns became more decolletees-
and her bravuras more frequent. She used to have
all her gray hairs plucked out ; so that at last, as was
wittily observed, instead of being coiffee en cheveux,
she was coiffee en tete.

But perhaps these illusions as to her appearance
and perpetual youth enabled Madame Merlin up to



68 Literary Salons in France.

the end of her life to remain the same kind,
generous-hearted, agreeable woman she had been in
her young days, when all the world was at her feet.
She still thought herself far superior to the young
beauties who had succeeded her ; and no doubt even
the sear and yellow leaf of her autumnal time was
more attractive than the spring of many younger
ones around her.

She had less wit and more genuine good-nature
than Madame de Girardin. She might have a mo-
ment of violent anger, but bore no malice ; and she
had too much reliance on the variety of her attrac-
tions to fear any rivalry As the etudiant says in
the well-known print of Gavarri, " C'etait la une
ricJie nature defemme, et si bon enfant."

Madame Merlin gave charming concerts, followed
by very agreeable suppers. Her house was a sort of
neutral ground, where the ministers of the Orleans
dynasty met the leaders of the Legitimist party, and
the most celebrated writers of the day ; where
Duchesses sat down with singers, and all aristocratic
pretensions were laid asdie. Madame Merlin,
among her many good qualities, had one which is
rare and admirable, and is the stamp of a truly
noble nature. She was thoroughly independent.
The poor way-worn musician who formed one of a
chorus met with as civil and kind a reception as the
Duke or Count just arrived from the Faubourg St
Germain. There was the kind, beaming, southern
smile of recognition for the second-rate artiste, when
met in some great house where he or she was kept
at arm's length. There was in her no respect of
persons for their rank or position, no cringing to
the debasing laws of socail etiquette. She pos-



Sir John Elley. 69



sessed what is much rarer than we all imagine, — a
truly kind heart; and she reaped her reward, for
though Madame Merlin had not always a great
regard for appearances, no one had the courage to
fling a stone at the generous-minded, warm-hearted
woman.

Sib, John Elley. — I have alluded in my former
volume to the extraordinary personal bravery of
General Sir John Elley on the field of Waterloo,
and his series of hand-to-hand encounters with the
French cavalry on that great day. It is perhaps
not generally known that this most distinguished
officer commenced his career as a private in the
Blues. He afterwards commanded that celebrated
regiment, for which he always had a great liking ;
and on a lengthened tour he once made through
Europe, after the war, although a Major-general,
he always wore the uniform of the Koyal Horse
Guards.

When he arrived at Vienna, he was invited to
dine at a full-dress dinner at the British Ambassa-.
dor's, on the occasion of King George IV 's birth-
day. He was covered with orders, bestowed by the
different sovereigns of Europe in 1815 ; and amongst
these gorgeous ribands and crosses the modest
Waterloo medal appeared. Sir John happened to
sit next to a French Secretary of Embassy, who
criticised the English decoration, and said, " Surely,
General, that is a very poor sort of order the
Government have given you and the other brave
officers of the English army. It cannot have cost
them five francs." " True," replied Sir John,
making a low bow, "it has not cost our country



70 An English Dandy in Paris.



more than five francs ; but it cost yours a Napo-
leon."

An English Dandy in Pakis. — During the days
of Georges III. and IV., a number of gentlemen, re-
markable for their eccentricities of dress and man-
ners, were the lions of the clay both in London and
Paris. For example, we had. such men as Brum-
mel, Pierpoint, John Mills, Meyler, Bradshaw, and
others, who seemed to think that the principal ob-
ject of their existence ought to be that of obtaining
notoriety by their dress. In addition to this class,
we had a series of fops about town, who were yet
more extravagant in their dress and manners.

I well remember Captain T , in Paris, imme-
diately after the war. He lived in a magnificent
style, having taken no less than two different hotels,
which naturally created a good deal of gossip in the
fashionable world. His carriages and horses were
English, and considered the most perfect things of
the day But the most remarkable feature of his
eccentricities was the captain's dress he wore
trousers capacious enough for a Turk; his coat,
which he always designed himself, was remarkable
for its wide, bagged sleeves, and an ingenious mode
of making the collar a sort of receptacle for a
voluminous quantity of shirt frill ; indeed, the
shirt collar appeared to descend from his ears all
the way down his back, so that you might suppose
he was looking out of a black chimney-pot.

Nature had bestowed upon him handsome fea-
tures, and a profusion of hair, which he had curled
and arranged in such an eccentric style that the
snaky locks appeared to be always desirino- £



Sheridan and the Electors of Stafford. 71

escape from his head, and were only detained on
his cranium by a tight-fitting little hat, suitable for
a boy about fourteen. He wore a pair of golden
spurs, with rowels of the circumference of a small
dessert-plate. Thus he strutted about the streets of
Paris, inviting the smiles of those who knew him,
and the positive laughter of strangers to whom he
was unknown. When Mike Fitzgerald met him for
the first time, after the end of the war, he said,

" Well, T , I am happy to find you have won

your spurs : made of doubloons, I suppose."

Peace to his ashes ! He died in the flower of his
age, much regretted by a large circle of friends ; and
his death was mourned by nearly all the best
families of the Faubourg St Germain, with whom he
had lived on the most intimate and friendly terms
for a quarter of a century

Sheridan and the Electoes of Stafford. —
In my last volume I have spoken of my return as
member of Parliament for Stafford. Many circum-
stances have been brought to my mind lately with
regard to Sheridan, who had been one of my pre-
decessors, by my witnessing a wild drama that has
been brought on the French stage, under the title
of " L'Homme de Eien/' which purports to be a bio-
graphy of that distinguished man. Those who have
seen how Mrs Siddons, Edmund Kean, and Dean
Swift have been rendered ridiculous by the incredi-
ble ignorance of dramatic authors in France about
everything English, and of every circumstance of
the lives of those they purport to represent, would
not be surprised at the liberties they have taken
with the great orator, wit, and dramatist.



VIS



2 Sheridan and the Electors of Stafford.



I heard from some very old men amongst my
constituents the singular history of the canvass of
Sheridan for this immaculate borough. His repu-
tation had already reached the town, but the defects
which unfortunately also rendered him conspicuous
were then unknown. He was reported to possess,
besides, unbounded influence with the Government,
and to have the entire management of Drury Lane
Theatre. His voters, being fully convinced that
they ought to receive a quid pro quo for their
" most sweet voices," every one had a favour to ask.
One had a son who had great dramatic talent,
another was an admirable scene-painter, others had
cousins and nephews who w T ould make excellent
door-keepers, lamp-lighters, check-takers, or box-
openers ; there were tailors, coiffeurs, and decora-
tors, who could dress with inimitable effect the
dramatis personce. Sheridan listened with his
usual bland smile to every request, and complied
with them all ; each individual being furnished
with a letter to the stage-manager of Drury Lane,
they all started off for the metropolis, full of eager
expectation. On their arrival they were favourably
received, and each person obtained the situation
that he had desired. When letters from London
announcing the fulfilment of Sheridan's promises
reached the hungry constituents of Stafford, a fresh
batch of aspirants for office posted off, and all were
equally successful ; the consequence was that, on
the day of election, the favourite was returned with
every demonstration of admiration and confidence.

Scarcely, however, had the member of Parliament
left the town than innumerable reproaches were
heaped upon his head ; it was found that upon



Sheridan and the Electors of Stafford. 73

application for the payment of the salaries clue to
the different persons employed there was no money
in the treasury. On Saturday night the receipts
were carefully handed over to Sheridan, .who care-
lessly spent the money ; so that the whole of the
humbler employes received nothing, whilst the
higher order of actors contrived to dun and worry
the thoughtless and extravagant entrepreneur out
of a portion of their salaries.

Great was the indignation excited amongst Sheri-
dan's constituents on finding that they had placed
their political interests in the hands of such a man,
and a deputation of three persons was despatched
to London to remonstrate with him. They went at
a fixed hour to the residence of the great man,
where they found a large crowd of his creditors
assembled, many of them apparently bent on saying
some very disagreeable truths. After waiting for
some time, the folding-doors were thrown open, and
out stepped the delinquent, in the first style of
fashion. Looking around him with a fascinating
smile, he addressed a few words to each of his
would-be tormentors in succession ; each one in his
turn was delighted, and quite incapable of making
unpleasant observations. They saw before them
the man whose speech they had just read in the
Times and Courier, which had proclaimed him in
their leading articles the first orator of the age ;
and they had seen in the Morning Post a paragraph
describing the irresistible wit which had convulsed
Brookes's with laughter, and which concluded by
pronouncing the honourable member an ornament
to British society.

On this occasion, Sheridan soon observed that



74 Sheridan and the Electors of Stafford.

the deputation from Stafford was an angry one ; so
lie walked quietly up to each individual, and put
some questions to him relating to his domestic con-
cerns. He had not forgotten anybody or any cir-
cumstance. He asked one of his constituents if Mrs
Grundy's preserves and jams, which she was making
when last he saw her, had proved of first-rate quality ;
whether Miss Grundy the elder continued to charm
the world with playing Stiebett's " Storm " on the
piano; if Miss Grundy the younger still took lessons
from Mr Town in velvet-painting ; and whether Dr
Squill had successfully vaccinated Master Tommy.
To each the great man had something to say which
seemed calculated to soothe the irritation of the
hearer, and to prevent him from uttering a word of
blame. Each man saw before him the most fasci-
nating individual in the kingdom fixing upon him
his dark flashing eye, and addressing him in per-
suasive accents, with the blandest smile. Sheridan
moved through the admiring circle with graceful
step, no one venturing to stop him ; and as he
reached the door he turned round, made an enchant-
ing bow, and having entered his carriage, kissed
his hand gracefully to his surrounding friends, and
loudly told the coachman to drive to Carlton House.
Away he went in a carriage for which the coach-
maker had received no money, driven by a coach-
man and footman whose wages had not been paid
for months, but who were still so pleased with their
master that they were willing to wait, and in fact
rather starve in his service, than live in the family
of the richest nobleman upon the fat of the land.

Upon the dissolution of Parliament, Sheridan
went down to Stafford ; but he found circumstances



Sheridan and the Electors of Stafford. 75



completely changed ; he could not obtain the pro-
mise of a single vote from his old friends. In con-
sequence of his continued excesses, he had lost much
of the charm of outward appearance that had won
him friends at an earlier period, and nothing re-
mained of his once expressive face but the remark-
able brilliancy of his eyes ; his cheeks were bloated,
his nose was of a fiery red, and his general aspect
bespoke the self-indulgence of the reckless man.
His appearance on the hustings was the signal for a
volley of opprobrious terms. One man in the crowd
bawled out, " We won't send you to Parliament, for
your nose will set the House of Commons on fire ;"
another had some doggerel rhymes to recite about

" The Whigs' banners are blue ;
Your nose and your cheeks are red,
From port-wine and brandy too,
And there's sherry in your head."

In vain did the once-admired orator attempt to
gain a hearing ; he was driven away amid the deri-
sion of the crowd, and never again was enabled to
shew his face in Stafford.

It has been said that his first election cost him
£2500 ; but this has been strenuously denied. An
anecdote, however, was in circulation, and had
reached his biographer, Thomas Moore, to the effect
that a deputation from Stafford had waited upon
Sheridan, requiring that he should give a vote con-
trary to his own views, and that his answer was a
decided negative, expressed in these words, " Gentle-
men, I bought you, and I assure you that I shall sell
you whenever it suits my convenience."

Many of the follies and extravagances that
marked the life of this gifted but reckless person-



76 Sheridan at Drury-Lane Theatre.



age must be attributed to the times in which he
existed. Drinking was the fashion of the day.
The Prince, Mr Pitt, Dundas, the Lord Chancellor
Eldon, and many others, who gave the tone to
society, would, if they now appeared at an evening-
party, "as was their custom of an afternoon," be
pronounced fit for nothing but bed. A three-bottle
man was not an unusual guest at a fashionable
table ; and the night was invariably spent in drink-
ing bad port-wine to an enormous extent.

Sheridan at Drury-Lane Theatre. — However,
many of the tricks played by Sheridan were quite
unjustifiable. A very old man, and who had
suffered severely by his confidence in the great
orator, was pointed out to me. On a Friday even-
ing, after the second price had been received, the
treasurer of Drury-Lane Theatre came to Sheridan
with a wofully long face, and told him that there
was not money enough to pay even the subordinates
on the following day ; and that unless a certain sum
could be found he was persuaded that the house could
not open on Monday. Sheridan suggested several
plans for raising the wind, but all were declared by
Mr Dunn to be useless. Sheridan gazed round at the
thinly-peopled boxes, and at length called to one of
the porters in waiting, " Do you see that stout, good-
tempered-looking man seated next a comely lady
in the third box from the stage, in a front row 1
Immediately the play is over, go to him ; have a
couple of wax candles carried by a boy who can
make graceful bows ; open the box door, and in a
voice loud enough to be heard by every one, say,
( Sir, Mr Sheridan requests the honour of a 'private



Sheridan at Drury-Lane Theatre. 77

interview with you in his own room.' Let every one
on the way treat him with the greatest civility ;
and, Mr Dunn, will you have the kindness to see
that a bottle of the best port and a couple of wine
glasses are placed on the table in my study."

The orders were duly obeyed. The gentleman was
ushered into the presence of Sheridan with honours
almost approaching those shewn to royalty, and was
received by him with the most cordial marks of
friendship and regard. " I am always so happy to
see any one from Stafford. I was glad you called
at my house for an order to this theatre, where I
hope you will come when you please , you will find,
your name on the free list. I think I remember
you told me you always came twice a year to
London." "Yes," was the reply; "January and
July, to receive my dividends." " You have come
for that purpose now," continued Sheridan. " Oh,
yes ; and I went to the Bank of England and got
my six hundred pounds." " Ah," said the manager,
" you are in Consols, whilst I, alas, am Reduced, and.
can get nothing till April, when, you know, the
interest is paid; and till then I shall be in great
distress." " Oh," said his constituent, " let that not
make you uneasy ; if you give me the power of
attorney to receive the money for you when it is
due, I can let you have three hundred pounds,
which I shall not want till then." "Only a real
friend," said Sheridan, shaking his dupe by the
hand with warmth, " could have made such a pro-
position. I accept it thankfully." And the three
hundred pounds were immediately transferred from
the pocket-book of the unwary man of Stafford into
that of the penniless manager of the theatre.



78 Sheridan at Drury-Lane Theatre.

April arrived, a power of attorney was one
morning handed over for signature to Sheridan,
whose only reply was, " I never spoke of Consols in
Seduced, I only spoke of my consols being reduced ;
unhappy is the man avIio does not comprehend the
weight of prepositions." The Stafford man, burning
with indignation, rushed up to London, and found
his cajoler calmly seated in his room at Drury
Lane. Sheridan, apparently not at all disconcerted,
with outstretched hand and benignant smile wel-
corned his victim, whose rage was at first uncon-
trollable ; but his attack was met by the manager
with an acknowledgment that, in a moment of
urgent necessity he had been compelled to throw him-
self on the generosity of a man whom he had heard
from every one was a model of worth, and whose
acquaintance would be acceptable in the highest
quarters. " But excuse me, my dear sir," he added ;
" I am now commanded to go to the Prince of
Wales, to whom I shall narrate your noble conduct.
My carriage is waiting, and I can take you to
Carlton House." The eye of the provincial sparkled
with delight. Was it possible that he meant to
take him to the Prince of AVales \ It sounded
something like it. He shook Sheridan by the hand,
saying, " I forgive you, my dear friend ; never men-
tion the debt again." "I will take care never to do
so," said the manager. The carriage came round to
the door, the two friends entered it, and when they
arrived at Carlton House, Sheridan got out, and
closing the door, told the coachman to drive the
gentleman to his hotel. The Stafford man, with a
last hope, naively said, " I thought I also was goino-
into Carlton House." " Another mistake of yours,"



Shelley's Fight at Eton. 79

replied Sheridan. The worthy constituent returned
that nio;ht to Stafford : and in future his vote was
given against Sheridan.

Shelley's Fight at Eton". — In the year 1809 an
incident occurred at Eton which caused no small
sensation and merriment throughout the school. It
was announced one morning that Shelley, the future
poet, had actually accepted wager of battle from Sir
Thomas Styles. Whether he had received an insult,
and that vast disparity in size gave him confidence,
or that, over-full of the warlike descriptions of
Homer's heroes, he was fired to imitate their exploits
against some one or other, remains a secret. Meet,
however, they did, after twelve, in the playing-fields.
The usual preliminaries were arranged — a ring was
formed, seconds and bottle-holders were all in readi-
ness, and the combatants stood face to face. The
tall, lank figure of the poet towered above the
diminutive, thick-set little Baronet, by nearly a head
and shoulders. In the first round no mischief was
done ; Sir Thomas seemed to be feeling his way,
being naturally desirous of ascertaining what his
gigantic adversary was made of; and Shelley,
though brandishing his long arms, had evidently no
idea of their use in a pugilistic point of view. After
a certain amount of sparring without effect, the
combatants were invited by their seconds to take
breath. The Baronet did not hesitate to accept the
offer to sit upon the knee of his second ; but Shelley
disdainfully declined to rest, and, calculating upon
finishing the fight by a single blow, stalked round
the ring, looking defiance at his little adversary-
Time was called, and the battle was renewed in



80 Epigram by Canning*

earnest. The Baronet, somewhat cautious, planted
his first blow upon the chest of Shelley, who did not
appear to relish it. However, though not a pro-
ficient in the art of self-defence, he nevertheless
went in, and knocked the little Baronet off his legs,
who lay sprawling upon the grass more dead than
alive. Shelley's confidence increased ; he stalked
round the ring as before, and spouted one of the
defiant addresses usual with Homer's heroes when
about to commence a single combat : the young
poet, being a first-rate classical scholar, actually de-
livered the speech in the original Greek, to the no
small amusement of the boys. In the second and
last round, Styles went to work like a first-rate
artist, and, after several slighter blows, delivered
what is called in the prize-ring " a heavy slogger "
on Shelley's bread-basket ; this seemed positively
to electrify the bard, for, I blush to say, he broke
through the ring, and took to his heels with a spe°d
that defied pursuit. His seconds, backers, and all
who had witnessed the fight, joined in full cry after
him, but he outran them all, and got safe to the
house of his tutor, Mr Bethel.

This incident naturally excited much merriment
at Eton at the time, and Shelley never more, during
his stay at college, ventured to enter the pugilistic
arena, but passed his leisure hours in making vari-
ous experiments in chemistry and natural science.
He even went so far as to employ a travelling tinker
to assist him in making a miniature steam-en cine,
which burst, and very nearly blew the bard and the
Bethel family into the air.

Epigeam by Canning. — When Tumlyn, the



Crockford's Club. 81

Bishop of Winchester, died, every effort was made
by Pelham to succeed to the bishopric. The follow-
ing epigram was written by Canning : —

" Says priggish Pelham, ' May I beg a hint on
The shortest road from Exeter to Winton 1 ' *
Says Bloomfield,t ' Sure you cannot fail to light on
The shortest road through Hertford X and through Brighton.' "

Mr Canning- and Lord Lyndhurst. — When
George Canning succeeded Lord Liverpool as Pre-
mier, he was at a loss to find a Chancellor. He had
quarrelled with Copley (Lord Lyndhurst) a few
nights before, for having, in a violent speech, in-
veighed against the Catholics in no measured terms :
Canning had even accused him of having learnt
by heart a pamphlet, published the day before, by
the Bishop of Exeter against the Catholics. Never-
theless, Canning, when forming his ministry, wrote
the following laconic note to Copley : — " Non
obstante Phtipotto, will you be my Chancellor'?"
The bait took, and Copley the same day became
Chancellor, and forty-eight hours after was gazetted
Lord Lyndhurst.

Crockford's Club. — I have alluded, in my first
volume, to the high play which took plac3 at White's
and Brookes's in the olden time, and at Wattier's
in the days of Brummel and the dandies. Charles
Fox, George Selwyn, Lord Carlisle, Fitzpatrick,
Horace Walpole, the Duke of Queensberry, and
others, lost whole fortunes at faro, macao, and

* Winton, the old name of Winchester.

+ Sir B. Bloomfield, afterwards Lord Bloomfield, a great favourite
of the Prince Begent's.
X The Marchioness.

F



S2 Croclcford's Club.

hazard ; almost the only winners, indeed, of that
generation were General Scott, father-in-law of
Canning, the Duke of Portland, and Lord Eobert
Spencer Lord Eobert, indeed, bought the beautiful
estate of AYoolbiclding, in Sussex, with the proceeds
of his gains by keeping the bank at Brookes's.

But, in the reign of George IV., a neAv star rose
upon the horizon in the person of Mr "William
Crockford ; arid the old-fashioned games of faro,
macao, and lansquenet gave place to the all-devour-
ing thirst for the game of hazard. Crockey, when
still a young man, had relinquished the peaceful
trade of a fishmonger for a share in a " hell," where,
with his partner Gye, he managed to win, after a
sitting of twenty-four hours, the enormous sum of
one hundred thousand pounds from Lords Thanet
and Granville, Mr Ball Hughes, and two other
gentlemen whose names I do not now remember.
With this capital added to his former gains, he
built the well-known palace in St James's Street,
where a club was established and play organised
on a scale of magnificence and liberality hitherto
unknown in Europe.

Due may safely say, without exaggeration, that
Crockford won the whole of the ready money of the
then existing generation. As is often the case at
Lords' Cricket - ground, the great match of the
gentlemen of England against the professional
players was won by the latter. It was a very
hollow thing, and in a few years twelve hundred
thousand pounds were swept away by the fortunate
fishmonger. He did not, however, die worth more
than a sixth part of this vast sum ; the difference
being swallowed up in various unlucky speculations.



Crockford's Club. 83

No one can describe the splendour and excite-
ment of the early days of Crockey. A supper of the
most exquisite kind, prepared by the famous Ude,
and accompanied by the best wines in the world,
together with every luxury of the season, was fur-
nished gratis. The members of the club included
all the celebrities of England, from the Duke of
Wellington to the youngest Ensign of the Guards ;
and at the gay and festive board, which was con-
stantly replenished from midnight to early dawn,
the most brilliant sallies of wit, the most agreeable
conversation, the most interesting anecdotes, inter-
spersed with grave political discussions and acute
logical reasoning on every conceivable subject, pro-
ceeded from the soldiers, scholars, statesmen, poets,
and men of pleasure, who, when the " house was up "
and balls and parties at an end, delighted to finish
their evening with a little supper and a good deal
of hazard at old Crockey's. The tone of the club
was excellent. A most gentlemanlike feeling pre-
vailed, and none of the rudeness, familiarity, and
ill- breeding which disgrace some of the minor clubs
of the present day, would have been tolerated for a
moment.

Though not many years have elapsed since the
time of which I write, the supper-table had a very
different appearance from what it would present
did the club now exist. Beards were completely
unknown, and the rare mustachios were only worn
by officers of the Household Brigade or hussar
regiments. Stiff white neckcloths, blue coats and
brass buttons, rather short-waisted white waist-
coats, and tremendously embroidered shirt-fronts
with gorgeous studs of great value, were considered



84 Crochford's Club.



the right thing. A late deservedly popular Colonel
in the Guards used to give Storr and Mortimer
£25 a year to furnish him with a new set of studs
every Saturday night during the London season.

The great foreign diplomatists, Prince Talleyrand,
Count Pozzo di Borgo, General Alava, the Duke of
Palmella, Prince Esterhazy, the French, Prussian,
Spanish, Portuguese, and Austrian ambassadors, and
all persons of distinction and eminence who arrived
in England, belonged to Crockford's as a matter of
course ; but many rued the day when they became
members of that fascinating but dangerous coterie.
The gi-eat Duke himself, always rather a friend of
the dandies, did not disdain to appear now and
then at this charming club ; whilst the late Lord
Eaglan, Lord Anglesey, Sir Hussey Vivian, and many
more of our Peninsula and Waterloo heroes, were con-
stant visitors. The two great novelists of the day,
who have since become great statesmen, Disraeli
and Bulwer Lytton, displayed at that brilliant sup-
per-table the one his sable, the other his auburn
curls ; there Horace Twiss made proof of an appe-
tite, and Edward Montague of a thirst, which
astonished all beholders; whilst the bitter jests of
Sir Joseph Copley, Colonel Armstrong, and John
Wilson Croker, and the brilliant wit of Alvanley,
were the delight of all present, and their bons mots
were the next day retailed all over England.

In the play-room might be heard the clear
ringing voice of that agreeable reprobate, Tom
Duncombe, as he cheerfully called, "Seven," and
the powerful hand of the vigorous Sefton in
throwing for a ten. There might be noted the
scientific dribbling of a four by "Kino-" Allen,



Crockford's Club. 85

the tremendous backing of nines and fives by Ball
Hughes and Auriol, the enormous stakes played
for by Lords Lichfield and Chesterfield, George
Payne, Sir St Vincent Cotton, D'Orsay, and George
Anson, and, above all, the gentlemanly bearing and
calm and unmoved demeanour, under losses or
gains, of all the men of that generation.

The old fishmonger himself, seated snug and sly
at his desk in the corner of the room, watchful as
the dragon that guarded the golden apples of the
Hesperides, would only give credit to sure and
approved signatures. Who that ever entered that
dangerous little room can ever forget the large
green table with the croupiers, Page, Darking, and
Bacon, with their suave manners, sleek appearance,
stiff white neckcloths, and the almost miraculous
quickness and dexterity with which they swept
away the money of the unfortunate punters when
the fatal cry of " Deuce ace," " Aces," or " Sixes
out," was heard in answer to the caster's bold cry
of " Seven," or " Nine," or " Five 's the main."

nodes ccenceque detim ! but the brightest
medal has its reverse, and after all the wit and
gaiety and excitement of the night, how disagree-
able the waking up, and how very unpleasant the
sight of the little card, with its numerous figures
marked down on the debtor side in the fine bold
hand of Mr Page. Alas, poor Crockey's ! shorn of
its former glory, has become a sort of refuge for
the destitute, a cheap dining-house. How are the
mighty fallen ! Irish buckeens, spring captains,
"welcners" from Newmarket, and suspicious-look-
ing foreigners, may be seen swaggering, after dinner,
through the marble halls and up that gorgeous stair-



86 " King" Alien.



case where once the chivalry of England loved to
congregate ; and those who remember Crockford's
in all its glory, cast, as they pass, a look of unavail-
ing regret at its clingy walls, with many a sigh to
the memory of the pleasant days they passed there,
and the gay companions and noble gentlemen who
have long since gone to their last home.



tr



"King" Allen. — The late Viscount Allen, com-
monly called " King '"' Allen, was a well-known char-
acter in London for many years. He was a tall,
stout, and pompous-looking personage, remarkably
well got up, with an invariably new-looking hat
and well-polished boots. His only exercise and
usual walk was from White's to Crockford's, and
from Crockford's to White's.

AYho in this ponderous old man would have re-
cognised the gallant youth who, as Ensign in the
Guards, led on his men with incredible energy and
activity across the ravine at Talavera ; where, if the
great Duke had not sent the 48th Begiment to their
assistance, very little more would have been heard
of " King " Allen and his merry men 1 But one of
the most famous dandies of his day was not fated
thus to perish ; and he was preserved for thirty years
after the great battle, to swagger down Bond Street
or lounge on the sunny side of Pall Mall, to become
an arbiter elegant iarum amongst the tailors, and a
Maecenas at the opera and play-
To render the '■ King" perfectly happy, one little
item was wanting — money. His estates, if he ever
had any, had long passed from him, and he had
much difficulty in making the two ends meet.
When, for economy's sake, he was obliged to retire



King" Allen. 87



for a short time to Dublin, he had a very large door
in Merrion Square, with an almost equally large
brass plate, on which his name was engraved in
letters of vast size ; but it was very much doubted
whether there was any house behind it. He was
a great diner out ; and one spiteful old lady,
whom he had irritated by some uncivil remarks,
told him that his title was as good as board wages
to him.

Strange to say, this mauvais sujet was a great
friend of the late Sir Eobert Peel, when Chief Secre-
tary for Ireland ; and on one occasion, when they
were proceeding in an open carriage to dine with
a friend a few miles from Dublin, in passing
through a village, they had the misfortune to
drive over the oldest inhabitant, an ancient bel-
dam, who was generally stationed on the bridge.
A large mob gathered round the carriage ; and as
Peel and the Tory Government were very unpopu-
lar at the period to which I refer, the mob began
to grow abusive, and cast very threatening and
ominous looks at the occupants of the barouche ;
when* the "King," with a coolness and self-possession
worthy of Brummel, rose up, displaying an acre of
white waistcoat, and called out, "Now, postboy, go
on, and don't drive over any more old women."
The mob, awe-struck by "King" Allen's majestic
deportment, retired, and "the industrious and idle
apprentices " went on their way rejoicing.

The " King " was not a very good-natured person ;
and as he had a strong, inclination to, and some
talent for, sarcasm, he made himself many enemies.
To give an idea of his " style." When the statue of
George III. was erected in front of Eansom's bank-



88 " King" Allen.



ing-house, Mr Williams, one of the partners, com-
monly known by the name of " Swell Bill," peti-
tioned the Woods and Forests to remove that work
of art, as it collected a crowd of little boys, who
were peculiarly facetious on the subject of the pig-
tail of that obstinate but domestic monarch, and
otherwise obstructed business. Lord Allen, meet-
in o- Williams at White's, said, "I should have
thought the erection of the statue rather an advan-
tage to you, because, while you are standing idle at
your own shop door, it would prevent you seeing
the crowds hurrying to the respectable establishment
of Messrs Coutts & Co., close by in the Strand."

The " King " did not possess much wit, but no
one could say more disagreeable things at the most
disagreeable moment. I remember his setting down
the late Lady N , daughter-in-law of a cele-
brated legal functionary of that name, in rather an
amusing manner. She was a vulgar Irish grazier's
daughter, extremely plain, and clipped the King's
English in a vain attempt to conceal a mellifluous
King's County brogue. After passing many years in
Rutland Square, Dublin, she suddenly found herself a
Countess, with a large income. Her first step after
this accession of dignity and fortune was to start for
London, where she affected to have passed her life.
On meeting Lord Allen soon after her arrival, she
extended one finger of her little fat hand, and in
a drawling, affected tone of voice said, " My Lard
Alleen, how long have you been in London \ "
" Forty years, ma'am," growled out the " Kino-."

Lord Allen greatly resembled in later life an an-
cient grey parrot, both in the aquiline outline of his
features, and his peculiar mode of walking, with one



Ball Hughes. 89



foot crossed over the other in a slow and wary man-
ner. He was a regular Cockney, and very seldom
left London ; but on one occasion, when he had gone
clown with Alvanley to Dover for the sake of his
health, and complained to his facetious friend that
he could get no sleep, Alvanley ordered a coach to
drive up and down in front of the inn windows all
night, and made the boots call out, in imitation of
the London watchmen of that day, " Half-past two,
and a stormy night." The well-known rumble of
the wheels, and the dulcet tones of the boots, had
the desired effect ; the " King " passed excellent
nights, and was soon able to return to his little
house in South Street with renewed health and
spirits.

Lord Allen was at last obliged to leave London,
after coming to an understanding with his credi-
tors ; and after passing some time at Cadiz, died at
Gibraltar in 1843, when his title became extinct.

Ball Hughes. — I was at Eton with my late
friend Ball Hughes, whose recent death was so much
lamented in Paris. He was known at Eton by the
name of Ball only ; but the year before he came of
age, he took the additional name of Hughes, his
uncle, Admiral Hughes, having left him the fortune
he had amassed during his command of the fleet on
the Indian seas, and which was supposed to be not
less than forty thousand a year. But Hughes
entered the army early in life, his uncle having
bought him a commission in the 7th Hussars, and
made him a handsome allowance. He was a great
imitator of the Colonel of his regiment, the Earl of
Uxbridge, afterwards Marquis of Anglesea, whom he



90 Ball Iiuahes.

took as a model for his coats, hats, and boots ; in-
deed everything that his noble commander said or
did was law to him. Hughes was a remarkably-
handsome man, and made a considerable figure in
the best society ; his manners were excellent ; he
was a thoroughly amiable, agreeable fellow, and
universally popular.

When he came into his fortune, he was considered
a great match bv all the women in London. He fell
desperately in love with Lady Jane Paget, the
daughter of his Colonel, and the marriage-settle-
ments were all arranged ; but, unluckily for the
disappointed lover, Lady Jane, at the last moment,
gave a most decided negative, and the match was
broken off. Ball was not long disconsolate, but
looking around him, fixed his attention upon the
lovely Miss Floyd, who afterwards married Sir
Robert Peel ; finding his attentions unacceptable in
that quarter, he proposed to Lady Caroline Church-
ill, afterwards Lady Caroline Pennant, but here
he was refused. This, however, did not prevent
him from being considered an eligible match by a
great many mothers, who diligently sought his
society He was courted, followed, and admired by
every one who had daughters to dispose of; but,
unfortunately for him, the young ladies, having
heard of his numerous disappointments, were not
ready to unite their fate with a man whose rejected
addresses were so well known. " The Golden Ball,"
as he was called, continued, nevertheless, to make his
appearance everywhere. He was devoted to female
society ; no dinner, ball, pic-nic, or party, was com-
plete unless the popular millionaire formed one of
the social circle.



Ball Hughes. 9 1



Ball Hughes's first step, on entering into possession
of his fortune, was to employ Mr Wyatt the archi-
tect to furnish a mansion for him in Brook Street.
No expense was spared to make it as near per-
fection as possible. Wyatt had a carte-blanche,
and bought for him buhl furniture, rich hangings,
statues, bronzes, and works of art to an extent that
made an inroad even upon his wealth.

A beautiful Spanish danseuse, named Mercan-
rlotti, arrived about this time in London, in the midst
of the gay season of 1822, under the immediate
patronage of Lord Fife. She was then only fifteen
years of age, and by some she was believed to be his
daughter, by others only his 'protegee. At Barce-
lona she was considered inimitable ; at Madrid she
gained great applause ; in Seville she acquired im-
mense reputation ; and by the time the lovely girl
reached London, great curiosity was excited to see
the new candidate for public favour at the King's
Theatre, where she was enfma;ed for the season at
£800. The new debutante met with complete suc-
cess, and was pronounced divine. All the dandies
who had the entree behind the scenes surrounded
her and paid her homage, and more than one scion
of the fashionable world offered to surrender his
liberty for life to the fascinating dancer. Ebers,
then manager of the theatre, was pestered from
morning to night by young men of fashion anxious
to obtain an introduction to Mademoiselle Mercan-
dotti, but they were invariably referred by the im-
presario to Lord Fife.

One night, March 8, 1823, the house was enor-
mously crowded by an audience eager to see the
favourite in the then popular ballet by Auber,



92 Ball Hughes.



"Alfred;" when just before the curtain drew up, the
manager came forward and expressed his regret that
Mademoiselle Mercandotti had disappeared, and that
he had been unable to discover where she had gone.
Knowing ones, however, guessed that she had been
carried off by the "Golden Ball," whose advances had
been very favourably received, and who had evi-
dently made a strong impression upon the damsel ;
and a few days after, the Morning Post announced
that a marriage had taken place between a young
man of large fortune and one of the most remark-
able dancers of the age. The persons present at the
marriage were the mother of the bride, Mr Ebers,
and Lord Fife. The honeymoon was passed at
Oatlands, which the happy bridegroom had shortly
before purchased from the Duke of York.

Ainsworth wrote the following epigram on this
event —

" The fair damsel is gone ; and no wonder at all
That, bred to the dance, she is gone to a Ball."

Ball Hughes died at St Germains two years ago.
His fortune had dwindled down to a fourth of its
original amount, for lie was perhaps the greatest
gambler of his day. His love of play was such, that
at one period of his life he would rather play at
pitch and toss than be without his favourite excite-
ment. He told me that at one time he had lost
considerable sums at battledoor and shuttlecock.
On one occasion, immediately afcer dinner, he and
the eccentric Lord Petersham commenced playino-
with these toys, and continued hard at work durino-
the whole of the night ; next morning he was found
by his valet lying on the ground, fast asleep, but
ready for any other species of speculation. His pur-



Scrope Davies. 93



chase of Oatlands, which at the time was considered
a foolish one, proved a very good speculation ; for it
was sold, for building villas, for so large a sum, that
Hughes, whose fortune had dwindled to a mere
pittance, became in his latter days very well off
again ; and though he lived in retirement, kept a
large establishment, and was in the enjoyment of
every luxury.

Scrope Davies. — The name of Scrope Davies is
now but little known, except in connexion with
Brummell's exit from the fashionable world of Lon-
don, and from his being occasionally mentioned by
Lord Byron and by Moore ; yet few men were
better received in society, or more the fashion than
he once was. He was educated at Eton, and from
thence he migrated in due time to King's College,
Cambridge, of which he became a fellow ; there he
formed those acquaintance that at a later period
served as an introduction into that world of which
he soon became a distinguished ornament. His
manners and appearance were of the true Brummell
type : there was nothing showy in his exterior. He
was quiet and reserved in ordinary company, but
he was the life and soul of those who relished learn-
ing and wit ; being a ripe scholar, and well read, he
was always ready with an apt quotation.

As was the case with many of the foremost men
of that day, the greater number of his hours were
passed at the gambling-table, where for a length
of time he was eminently successful ; for he was a
first-rate calculator. He seldom played against indi-
viduals ; he preferred going to the regular estab-
lishments, But on one occasion he had, by a



94 Scrope Davies.

remarkable run of good luck, completely ruined a
young man who had just reached his majority and
come into the possession of a considerable fortune.
The poor youth sank down upon a sofa in abject
misery, when he reflected that he was a beggar ; for
he was on the point of marriage. Scrope Davies,
touched by his despair, entered into conversation
with him, and ended by giving him back the whole
of his losses, upon a solemn promise that lie never
would play again. The only thing that Scrope re-
tained of his winnings was one of the little carriages
of that dav, called a dormeuse, from its being fitted
up with a bed, for he said, " When I travel in it I
shall sleep the better for having acted rightly." The
youth kept his promise ; but when his benefactor
wanted money, he forgot that he owed all he possessed
to Scrope's generosity, and refused to assist him.

For a long time Scrope Davies was a lucky player ;
but the time arrived when Fortune deserted her old
favourite ; and, shortly after the Dandy dynasty was
overthrown, he found himself unable to mingle with
the rich, the giddy, and the gay- With the wreck
of his fortune, and indeed but little to live upon
beyond the amount of his own Cambridge fellow-
ship, he sought repose in Paris, and there, indulging
in literary leisure, bade the world farewell. He had
but few intimates, and those only whom he had for-
merly known in his days of affluence.

He was a great admirer of Moore, and when
some one said the poet had incurred reproach for
writing "Little's" Poems, Scrope said the Eoman
poet has best expressed himself on that subject :
Ubi plura niteiit, 11011 ego paucis qffendar macu-
lis ; which he thus translated, " Moore shines



Scrope JDavies. 95



so brightly that I cannot find fault with Little's
vagaries." He also said, Ne plus ultra — nothing
is better than Moore. Somebody observing that
Moore was a true Irish name, but it was nothing
without the addition of 0, " Oh/' replied Scrope,
" I always thought that O'thello, Moor of Venice,
was an Irishman, from the blunders that he made."
He remarked, on one occasion, "You can find in
Shakespeare an apt expression for everything that
this earth affords." Somebody asked, " Where does
Shakespeare ever allude to the tread-mill % " " Oh,"
answered Scrope, '"'you will find in 'King Lear' the
words, ' Down, down, thou climbing sorrow !'" " Not
an exact quotation," retorted one who was present.
" Yes," said Scrope , " but the old king was in a
rage when he expressed himself."

Scrope Davies bore with perfect resignation the
loss of the wealth he had once possessed ; and
though his annual income was very limited, he made
no complaint of poverty. He daily sat himself down
on a bench in the garden of the Tuileries, where
he received those whose acquaintance he desired,
and then returned to his study, where he wrote
notes upon the men of his day, which have unfor-
tunately disappeared : that they existed there can
be no doubt, as he occasionally read extracts from
his diary to those* in whom he placed confidence.
Ball Hughes was about the last of his visitors.
Scrope found the former gay young man very much
improved in mind by adversity, and was wont to
say, " He is no longer ' Golden Ball ;' but since the
gilt is off, he rolls on much more smoothly than he
did." Having heard that Brummell had obtained a
consulship when Lord Melbourne came into office,



96 Thomas Moore



Scrope went over to London and had an interview
with the noble Lord ; but he told his friends, " Lamb
looked so sheepish when I was ushered into his
presence, that I asked him for nothing; indeed
there were so many nibbling at his grass, that I felt
I ouoht not to jump over the fence into the meadow
upon which siuh animals were feeding."

Thomas Moore. — During my residence in Paris,
several distinguished men took up their abode for
a time, and were universally well received. Thomas
Moore stayed for a considerable length of time, and
his diary, admirably edited by Lord John Eussell,
shews most minutely how his hours were spent,
and the people with, whom he mingled. He was a
favourite guest everywhere, but he was attracted
only where a good cuisine would satisfy the taste
of the gourmet. He realised (at least in Paris) Sir
Edward Lytton Bulwer's admirable conception of
LordGuloseton, in his ever favourite novel, "Pelham."
When Moore had received an invitation to dinner
from an untried Amphitryon, previous to returning
an answer he cross-examined all who visited him.
Had his friend an established kitchen, with a chef of
his own 1 or did he depend upon a neighbouring
restaurateur ? Did the cltef deserve the name of an
artiste? Were the wines of a choice quality'? Did
they come direct from wine-growing countries'? or
were they likely to be the product of some Parisian
wine-doctor % All these questions were asked with a
serious earnestness that exhibited the great poet's ex-
quisite taste in the pleasures of the table. It must,
however, be added, that he was equally anxious that
the invited 'should be intellectual or distinguished



Thomas Moore. 97



persons ; and one stipulation in accepting the invita-
tion was that English should be the language of the
table : nothing seemed to annoy him more thoroughly
than to find that, for the sake of a single individual,
French should be the order of the day.

Whatever might be his peculiarities and his de-
mands, however, they were amply repaid by the
brilliancy of his conversation and the charm of his
manners. He would now and then, when entirely at
his ease with well-known friends, give an imitation
of the great Irish orator Curran, which those who
had known the original pronounced to be perfect,
while those who had never seen him were delighted
with the wit and humour that were introduced ; but
it was when the dinner was ended, the drawing-
room reached, and a few of his much loved country-
women were present, that the charm of Moore's
society was felt. Almost without an invitation he
would unaffectedly sit down to the pianoforte and
warble forth some of those enchanting melodies
which he has given to a grateful nation, accompany-
ing himself with exquisite taste ; his voice was rich
in tone, and the expression he threw into his owu
words, combined with his beaming face and genial
manner, elicited the admiration of all. Those who
have heard him sing " Those Evening Bells/' and
" Oft in the Stilly Night," will carry a recollection
of one of the most agreeable moments of their lives,
He fully deserved the cognomen of " Anacreon," by
which he was much known in Parisian society. The
French are accustomed to Christian names of Greek
origin ; they have Achilles, Hector, and I have known
several Nestors and one Epaminondas : indeed it is
their not unfrequent custom to drop the surname.

G



98 Francis Hare.



Many men are distinguished entirely by the pre-
nomen ; and as "Anacreon" Moore had been the
sobriquet of the illustrious Irish lyric poet, from the
time of his translation of the classic bard, he was soon
christened "Anacreon," and as such generally known.
I remember once visiting M. Sommarivas's
collection, and on mounting the staircase, the
domestic whispered into my ear that " Monsieur
Anacreon " was in one of the saloons , as that name
had not then reached my ears, I asked him who was
" Monsieur Anacreon ;" the man looked at me with
something like astonishment at the question, and
after a short pause said, " It is your great English
Benin o;er that is looking at our collection." On
entering the saloon my mind was enlightened by re-
cognising the bard of Erin, who, with animated looks
and lively gestures, was pointing out the beauties
of an antique statue ; he wore the earnest and in-
tellectual expression which distinguished him when
delighting his friends with a barcarolle, or one of
his sweetest melodies. Moore always heard with
infinite pleasure any compliment paid to his wife;
indeed one of his most remarkable characteristics
was his intense fondness for her ; he was in fact
the most uxorious of mortals, and thouo-h he could
smile on an)' pretty woman, all his affections were
centred in his charming " Bessy."

Fjgaxcis Hare. — Francis Hare, sarcastically
nicknamed " The Silent Hare," from his extreme
loquacity, was remarkable for his leanness, his appe-
tite, and his conversational powers. He could not
only speak every European language, but all the
various patois of each tongue, with a rapid and



Francis Hare. 99



effervescent utterance that reminded one of the
rushing of some alpine torrent, or Pyreneean Gave
battling with the impediments that obstruct its
course. His memory was as surprising as his
loquacity ; he could repeat whole pages from almost
any book that was mentioned in his presence, and
" come down " with effect on any unlucky wight
who had made an incorrect quotation from some
rare or obsolete volume, which might have been
supposed to be unknown to all present.

One day, in a country house, his friends had made
a bet that they would catch him napping, and start
a subject on which he could have nothing to say
With this view they read up an article in an ency-
clopaedia of that time, on Chinese music. At dinner
one of the conspirators introduced the subject, a
second took it up, and a third exhausted the know-
ledge they had gained by reading the learned essay.
To their intense astonishment, Hare, in his excited,
spluttering manner, took up the topic, contradicted
all the statements that had been made, proved that
they were all in the wrong, and concluded by say-
ing, " I see, my good fellows, where you have taken
your impressions about the harmony of the Celestial
Empire. You have found them in an article in such
an encyclopaedia, which I myself wrote ten years
ago ; but since then I have studied the subject and
conversed with well-informed travellers, and I have
arrived at conclusions diametrically opposed to those
I held when I wrote the article."*

Hare was very fond of practical jokes and mysti-
fications of all sorts. While passing a winter at

* This anecdote is also told of Professor Whewell, the Master of
Trinity.



100 Francis Hare.



Pisa, he amused himself, (rather sacrilegiously, I must
admit,) one day that he was visiting the baptistry,
by entering a confessional. In this quiet old town
the priests have a good deal of rustic simplicity
about them, and doubtless Hare would never have
attempted the same joke either at Florence or Borne,
where tales of deadly crimes are too common to
astonish the confessor.

Hare, having selected a round-faced, innocent-
looking priest as his victim, went up to the con-
fessional, knelt down with a look of penitential
sorrow, and poured forth in the purest Tuscan the
most hideous tale of guilt that ever reached a good
father's car : robbery, blasphemy, sacrilege, rape, and
murder were owned to in quick and horrifying
succession ; till at last the fat priest's placid coun-
tenance wore an expression of frantic terror, and
opening the other door of the confessional, without
cap or breviary, he rushed from the place, and tore
down the street, never stopping till he had reached
his own dwelling.

In mentioning the name of Hare, I am reminded
of a circumstance which occurred to him during the
Hundred Days. The English, including our embassy,
were so frightened at the unexpected return of the
Emperor, that they fled from France as if Old Nick
had made his appearance. Hare, on the contrary,
remained, and at the first levee held by Napoleon, he
made his appearance at the Tuileries, where he was
presented to his Majesty-
Napoleon addressed him in the following words :
— " Weil, sir, what has kept you in Paris, when your
countrymen have all left V "To see the greatest
man in Europe, sir." " Ah, it is, then, your opinion,



Theodore Hook — Cosway. 101

having seen and conversed with me, that I am not
that wild beast I am represented to be by your
ministers and the members of your Houses of Par-
liament." " Oh no, sir, it cannot be the opinion of
the English ministers ; but I blush when I call to
mind the manner in which your name has been
traduced by our garrulous members of both Houses."
This little episode, and the remarks said to have
been made by Hare, reached London in an in-
credibly short time, when our newspapers attacked
him in no measured terms, stating that he was a
traitor to his country, and ought to be prosecuted
forthwith. But Hare could afford to laugh at their
abuse and threats ; and on his return to England
after the fall of Napoleon, used often to relate witli
pleasure, and not without some emotion, the con-
versation he had held with the great French
Emperor.

Theodore Hook. — I remember being present at
a dinner in London, when a very severe and saturnine
Scotch Presbyterian was abusing Sunday news-
papers, and concluded a violent tirade by saying,
"I am determined to set my face against them."
"So am I" said Theodore Hook, "every Sunday
morning;." He was well known at that time to be
the editor of the John Bull weekly journal.

Cosway the Painter. — The miniature painter
Cosway enjoyed the reputation of drawing the long-
bow to a remarkable extent. He was once relating,
in my presence, to a large party of incredulous
listeners, the story of a boy who had fallen from the
top of a church steeple without sustaining any ma-



102 Martin Hawhc.



terial injury. When he had come to a conclusion,
there were a few murmurs, expressive of doubt as to
the possibility of such a miraculous preservation,
when Cosway, looking round on the company with
a glance of solemn defiance, exclaimed, " I was that
boy ! "

Martin Hawke. — The Hon. Martin Hawke was
a remarkable character, of a somewhat original
and eccentric turn of mind. He lived many years
abroad, and was the principal person who introduced,
and rendered popular on the Continent, horse-
racing, cricket, and other manly sports. He was well
known in Paris, Tours, and Boulogne. He was an
excellent horseman, a first-rate pugilist, a capital
shot, was passionately fond of field sports, and had a
great aversion to anything in the shape of poaching.
He had several very serious encounters in France
with some very rough customers, whom he found
shooting on the manors he had hired ; and nothing
but his great strength and courage prevented him
from falling a sacrifice to their vengeance. Upon
one occasion he discovered, to his great joy, a net,
which had been set near a wood the night before,
and was full of woodcocks. He placed them in his
greatcoat pocket, and, arriving at the market-place
at Boulogne, where several of his friends had congre-
gated, he addressed them thus : — " Gentlemen, I will
shew you a strange sight — some live woodcocks."
His friends laughed, and rallied him for endeavour-
ing to impose upon their credulity. In an instant
out flew, from his greatcoat pocket, several wood-
cocks. Brooke Eichmond, who squinted a little,
asked Martin for one of the cocks, upon which



Lord Normanby. 103

Martin replied, "My good fellow, they have all
flown away — except the one in your eye."

When in Paris some forty years back, Hawke
received, through Sir C. Stewart, our ambassador,
an invitation to accompany the Due de Berri on a
shootino- excursion in the forest of St Germain.
Prior to the chase, Alexandre de Girardin, the
grand veneur, or huntsman, informed the gentlemen
who were invited that it was not etiquette for them
to fire before his Eoyal Highness had discharged his
gun. As bad luck would have it, Hawke, in the
ardour of the moment, had completely forgotten
the hint given him ; for on the first cock-pheasant
getting up, Hawke, who was rather quicker than
the royal sportsman, knocked it over close to the
feet of the Duke, who in a great rage cried out, in
English, "Who the devil are you, sir, who have
disobeyed my orders'?" Martin, rather ashamed,
mentioned his name. The Duke replied, " A droll
name yours is, Mr ' Hock ; ' " upon which Martin,
nothing abashed, said, " Oh, sir, your Eoyal High-
ness must be acquainted with it already, for my
grandfather Admiral Hawke's name was well known
in the French navy." The Due de Berri took this
retort very good-humouredly, and said, " Well,
well, Mr Hawke, you are a plain-spoken sort of
fellow : I like your frankness and spirit, and there-
fore hope, the next time I have a shooting party at
St Germain, you will accompany me again." Alas!
the following night the good-natured Prince, on
entering the opera, was assassinated by Louvel.

Lord Normanby. — The first time I ever saw
Lord Normanby was in 1816, during a morning



104 Lord Normanby.



visit at the Eight Hon. George Tierney's, in Strat-
ton Street. He was then a remarkably pleasing
and good-looking young man; and I remember a
circumstance which may account for his enter-
ing political life as a Liberal.

His father, Lord Mulgrave, was a high Tory,
had long been a member of the administration of
Pitt and his successors, and at the time of which
I speak he was Master- General of the Ordnance.
On the occasion to which I refer, Lord Normanby,
in the course of conversation, informed those pres-
ent that his father had in a most unceremonious
manner been dismissed from his high post to make
way for the Duke of "Wellington. He denounced,
in the bitterest terms, the conduct of the Govern-
ment towards so old a public servant as his father,
and swore he never would forgive them.

He shortly afterwards entered Parliament as an
advanced Liberal, always voted with the Whigs ;
and when they came into office in 1830, he was ap-
pointed Governor of Jamaica. On his return thence
to England, he filled the post of Lord-Lieutenant
of Ireland, under very difficult circumstances, and
at a period of great importance, with general ap-
plause. His pleasing and conciliating manners
made him a general favourite ; and the Vice-Eegal
Court during his stay was a very brilliant one. He
afterwards became Secretary of State ; and in 1847,
ambassador at Paris. He conducted himself with
considerable tact, and shewed a certain amount of
ability during the latter part of the reign of Louis
Philippe. On the establishment of the Republic, he
had the good sense to keep quiet, and to remain on
good terms with the poets, wood-merchants, and



Lord Normanby. 105

journalists who successively held office. But I do
not think he conducted his relations with the
present Emperor in a very adroit manner. He
misjudged the Prince's capacity and character, and
assumed rather a protecting tone with him ; and
when the coup d'etat took place, he did not believe
that Lord Palmerston would, with his usual de-
cision and foresight, recognise Louis Napoleon as
Emperor, immediately the choice of the French
nation became known. Lord Normanby afterwards
engaged in intrigues against his chief at the Foreign
Office, and the latter period of his embassy was not
a very satisfactory one, either to himself or to his
admirers.

On his resignation, and after an attack of paraly-
sis, he was appointed minister to Florence. This
post was given him in lieu of a retiring pension,
and because the climate suited him ; and Lord
Normanby, with his palazzo in town and the Villa
Normanby near Fiesole, recalled to his old friends
the pleasant clays they had spent with him thirty
years before, when he resided there as a private
gentleman before his accession to office, and when
his theatricals were the delight of all who visited
Italy

On the accession of the Tories to power, Lord
Normanby and Lord Howden, our envoy to Madrid,
were, with an unparalleled want of courtesy, im-
mediately informed by a telegraphic despatch that
Her Majesty had no longer any occasion for their ser-
vices. The insulting nature of this dismissal at the
hands of Lord Malmesbury had no effect upon the
fixed determination of Lord Normanby to leave his
old friends the Whigs. It is supposed that the im-



106 Lord Normanhy .



mense success of the paternal governments of Naples,
.Florence, Parma, Lucca, and Modena, in making
their people happy and contented, must have pro-
duced this change in Lord Normanby's opinions ;
for, immediately on his return to England, he
became a most violent Tory ; and in his frequent
speeches in the House of Lords arraigned and
attacked on all occasions the foreign policy of the
"Whigs, and that with a blind and almost rabid
violence, and a degree of bitterness and ill nature,
which astonished and disgusted his old friends.

Let us hope that this extraordinary change
both in the opinions and feelings of so generally
popular and amiable a man was the effect of disease,
and attributable to the severe attack of illness
from which he had suffered for several years before
his death. He was the man of all others who
should not have left the Liberal party. He was the
spoiled child of the Whigs, and had received from
them every great appointment and every distinc-
tion it was in their power to give. Besides the
high offices I have before enumerated, he was made
a Marquis, a Grand Cross of the Bath, and a Knight
of the Garter.

I remember, apropos of this, that when Lord
Melbourne was minister, Edward Ellice and the
Premier were looking one mornino; from the win-
dows of the first Lord's residence in Downing Street
into St James's Park, and saw Lord Normanby
approaching. On Mr Ellice inquiring what he
could be coining for, Lord Melbourne said, in his
off-hand manner, " I don't know what the devil the
fellow can want, unless he comes to ask for a
second garter for his other leg." In fact, the com



Lord Normanby. 107

nionest gratitude should have made Lord Normanby
pause before he took the fatal step which sullied
the close of his political career.

Let me turn from this last lamentable error, and
remember only his many good and amiable quali-
ties. He was certainly one of the most courteous
and agreeable of our ministers and diplomatists.
There was no hauteur or reserve in his manner, and
yet a natural dignity which prevented all undue
familiarity. He was a fluent and ready speaker,
and wrote with ease and elegance. When in Dub-
lin he was much beloved by all around him, for he
was a thoroughly good-natured man; and because
this expression has been often misunderstood and
supposed to mean weak or silly, let us not despise
this rare and precious gift, much oftener bestowed
on men of intellect than on fools. Till his illness,
Lord Normanby was never heard to say an unkind
thing of any one ; and though in the latter years
of his life he carried this amiable quality too far,
when he took the part of the ex-King of Naples,
the Duke of Modena, the Pope, and the brigands
and assassins of Antonelli and Merode, yet this
kindness in the days of his prosperity had a win-
ning charm, because it was genuine, and sprang
from a really good heart.

Had Lord Normanby not taken to politics and
become a Viceroy and Secretary of State, he would
have achieved great success as a literary man. His
two novels, "Matilda," and "Yes and No," were
worthy to be placed on a par with the best of their
day; and had he been obliged to earn his bread,
he might have been a Bulwer or a Kemble. For
besides his literary acquirements, he had a remark-



108 Equipages in London and Paris.

able talent for acting ; and his theatre at Florence,
some forty years ago, might have vied with many
of the best establishments in London or Paris.
Lord Normanby had a thousand good and amiable
qualities ; and those who knew him will long remem-
ber with regret his pleasant conversation, his genial
smile, and kind, open-hearted manner.

A Mother in Israel. — Old Madame Rothschild,
mother of the mighty capitalists, attained the ao-e
of ninety-eight ; her wit, which was remarkable,
and her intellectual faculties, which were of no
common order, were preserved to the end. In her
last illness, when surrounded by her family, her
physician being present, she said in a suppliant tone
to the latter, " Dear doctor, try to do something for
me." " Madame, what can I do % I can't make
you young again." " No, doctor, I don't want to
be young again, but I want to continue to grow
old."

Equipages in London and Paris — The Four-in-
hand Club. — When lately in London, on dri vino-
through the parks, I was struck with the inferiority
of the equipages, to those which I remember fifty
years ago. Paris now quite equals London in ex-
ternal display; indeed, the horses are, generally
speaking, even superior. The Emperor, whose long
residence in England gave him an opportunity of
forming an idea of the care and attention necessary
to produce a fine breed of horses, has been indefati-
gable in selecting a stud ; and being ably seconded
by General Fleury, introduced into France a love
of sport which seemed almost peculiar to England,



Equipages in London and Paris. 109

I look back upon the time when the most magnifi-
cent parade of horses and carriages attracted atten-
tion in London, and when the famous Four-in-
hand Club was the theme of general admiration.
The spectacle of a grand turn-out of the members
of that distinguished body was one of the glories
of the days of the Eegent. There was a perfection
in the minutest detail that made a well-appointed
four-in-hand appear like a choice work of art. The
symmetry of the horses, the arrangement of the
harness, the plain but well-appointed carriage, the
good taste of the liveries, the healthy, sturdy appear-
ance of the coachmen and grooms, formed altogether
one of those remarkable spectacles that make a last-
ing impression upon the memory.

The list of the members will shew that some of
the most distinguished scions of the aristocracy were
the persons who vied with each other in producing
this effect. The original club embraced, I believe,
the following leading members : — Lord Sefton, Lord
Barrymore, Colonel Berkeley, afterwards Earl Fitz-
hardinge, Mr Akers, Sir Bellingham Graham, Sir
Henry Peyton, Mr Clutterbuck, Mr Cholmondely of
Vale Boyal, Sir John Lade, Mr Lewis, Sir H.
Mainwaring, Tom Bichards, Mr Fenwick, Lord Wor-
cester, Mr Bowles, and the Hon. Major Forrester.
They assembled in George Street, Hanover Square,
and drove in regular order to Salt Hill, to the well-
known house, named the Windmill, kept by Botham,
where a sumptuous dinner awaited them ; after
which they returned to London, in high spirits, and
notunfrequently somewhat overcome by the quantity
of sound port wine, for which that inn was celebrated.

The driving was never of such a character as to



110 Equipages in London and Paris.



cause any accident ; it was steady, and well regu-
lated , one of the rules of the club being that no
coach should pass another, and that the pace should
never exceed a trot.

This club lasted in full vigour for upwards of
twenty years, when it was broken up, in conse-
quence of the death of many of the members, and
the advanced ao-e of several others. The love of
coaching still existed amongst many distinguished
leaders of fashion, and at a meeting held at the
house of Lord Chesterfield, in Stanhope Street, it
was determined to revive, in its former splendour,
this national institution, which has served as an
encouragement to the breeding of the finest cattle
in the universe. Amongst my papers I found a list
of the original members of this club, which met at
Richmond on Saturday, June 2, 1838, and passed
a series of resolutions, that formed the basis of the
regulations which were observed during; its existence.

The Earl of Sefton was one of the leaders of the
former club ; he drove splendid bay horses, and was
acknowledged to be a man of considerable taste.
This noble Lord, with a frame somewhat deformed,
was a capital horseman, and was seen daily in the
parks, accompanied by his two daughters ; one of
whom had some pretensions to beauty, and married
a son of the "Whig member for Mario w, Pascoe
Grenfell, a proprietor of copper works at Swansea.
Lord Sefton was amongst the most conspicuous
lovers of the gastronomic art, and had secured Ude,
the well-known chef de cuisine of Louis XVI. The
noble Lord prided himself upon the invention of a fa-
mous plat, composed of the soft roe of the mackerel,
which was served up in the form of petits pates.



Equipages in London and Paris. Ill

Towards the end of his life, Lord Sefton became
an habitue of Crockford's, and it was supposed that he
left behind him there no less a sum than two hundred
thousand pounds. After the death of the noble
Lord, the fishmonger presented to his eldest son,
who succeeded to the title, an acceptance of the
late Lord's, to the tune of forty thousand pounds ;
and Lord Sefton, notwithstanding the uncertainty
that attended a claim so abruptly made, felt it his
duty to discharge the debt which he was led. to
believe had been incurred by his father.

The Marquis of Worcester, a spirited, dashing,
handsome young man, was much admired by the
fair sex, and led a life of great gaiety His father,
the Duke of Beaufort, receiving some hints that
this promising youth was in danger of becoming
the victim of a siren who had almost extorted from
him a promise of marriage, the Marquis was sent
to join the Duke of Wellington, became his aide-
de-camp, and upon every occasion shewed that he
was worthy the race of John of Gaunt, from which
he sprang.

The lady in question (Harriet Wilson) was one of
the most notorious traviatas of the clay, had written
her memoirs, and become the scandal of the metro-
polis ; one of her sisters had married a peer of the
realm, and another a famous harpist of very doubt-
ful character, who had been one of the most licen-
tious men of the day, and afterwards carried off the
wife of a distinguished English composer.

Upon the return of the Marquis from the army,
he devoted his time to the sports of the field, his
father's hunting establishments, both in Gloucester-
shire and Oxfordshire, being the admiration of every



112 Equipages in London and Paris.



lover of the chase. He married Miss Fitzroy
daughter of General and Lady Anne Fitzroy.
Lady Anne, a sister of the Duke of Wellington, on
the death of the General, became the wife of
Sir Culling Smith. After the death of his beauti-
ful wife, the Marquis of Worcester married her
half-sister, from whom sprang the present Duke of
Beaufort, who retains his ancestors' love of sport,
and has lately made such a sensation in France by
the splendid retinue he brought with him on the
occasion of his visiting that country for the purpose
of wolf-hunting. His late father was a universal
favourite ; a dandy of the first water, and very
much beloved by all classes with whom he came
in contact.

In the days of which I speak there were amateur
coachmen, who drove with unflinching regularity,
and in all weathers, the public stage-coaches, and
delighted in the opportunity of assimilating them-
selves with professional Jehus. Some young men,
heirs of large landed proprietors, mounted the box,
handled the ribbons, and bowled along; the liisrli-
road , they touched their hats to their passengers,
and some among them did not disdain even the
tip of a shilling or half-crown, with which it was
the custom to remunerate the coachman. Many
persons liked travelling to Brighton in " The
Age, " which was tooled along by Sir Vincent
Cotton, whilst others preferred Charley Tyrrwhit.
On the Holyhead, Oxford, and the Bath and
Bristol roads, Lord Harborough, Lord Clonmel,
Sir Thomas Mostyn, Sir Charles Bamfylde, Sir
Felix Agar, Sir Henry Parnell, Sir Bellingham
Graham, Mr Clutterbuck, Sir John Lade, and



Equipages in London and Paris. 113

other members of the Four-in-hand Club, were
seen, either driving the coach or sitting cheek by
jowl with the coachman, talking about horses and
matters relating to " life upon the road." One of
the members of the Four-in-hand Club, Mr Akers,
was so determined to be looked upon as a regular
coachman, that he had his front teeth so filed that
a division between them might enable him to expel
his spittle in the true fashion of some of the most
knowing stage-coach drivers.

Lord Onslow devoted his time to his stud, and
being the master of four of the finest black horses
in England, was always conspicuous in the parks ;
but he was too eccentric to obtain the suffrages of
any of the Four-in-hand Club, for his carriage was
painted black, and the whole turn-out had more the
appearance of belonging to an undertaker. Mrs
Humphrey, at whose shop in St James's Street were
exhibited all the best caricatures of the day, had
a capital one in her window, in which the noble
Lord was depicted driving his mournful equipage ;
and the following lines at the bottom were read
with great glee by those who had seen the original : —

" What can Tommy Onslow do 1
He can drive a curricle and two.
Can Tommy Onslow do no more ?
Yes, he can drive a phaeton and four."

There was an individual once familiar in the
dandy circle, whose turn-out made always a sensa-
tion from its excessive elegance, his name was
Pdchards, but he acquired the cognomen of " Tom
Pipes" from the following circumstance. Having
run through an enormous fortune, he was compelled
to borrow money at an exorbitant interest, and a

H



1 1 4 Kate North.



well-known tobacconist in Oxford Street lent him
large sums on the condition that Pdchards should
take one-half of the amount in tobacco pipes,
and other such commodities, and the needy man
was always inviting his friends to take off his hands
a portion of this stock in trade. He of coarse, like
all other borrowers upon post-obit bonds, became
completely ruined, and one kind friend obtained
for him what in those clays was a refuge of the
destitute — a consulship. It was to Nantes he
went ; but his pecuniary difficulties hung about
him, and he got into scrapes, and lost his appoint-
ment.

Richards had one redeeming point ; he was a
learned naturalist, and spent his little all in the
purchase of animals. He got into trouble about a
rare snake which he petted. Travelling in the Bath
mail, he had placed the reptile in a basket under
his feet ; it crawled out and glided up the petticoat
of a lady, who, suddenly waked up with an unusual
sensation, pressed her hand upon the visitor, and
irritated the snake, which gave her a severe bite.

Kate North. — In the davs when " Skittles,"
" Anonyma," and other notorious descendants of
the Laises and Phrynes of old, are topics of con-
versation and newspaper comment, I may be per-
mitted to " point a moral and adorn a tale," by
relating a remarkable episode in the life and
adventures of the beautiful and once celebrated
Kate North.

Kate was the daughter of a discharged sero-eant
of the Guards, who had the appointment of sutler
at Chatham. Her mother dying after a long illness,



Kate North. 115



Kate, though young, worked hard early and late,
and managed her father's house for a length of
time ; and the entire garrison, from the command-
ing officer to the private soldier, were loud in their
praise of this incomparable young girl, whose mar-
vellous beauty was the theme of conversation.

Among the officers at Chatham there happened
to be a young ensign, extremely good-looking, upon
whom Kate's beauty made a strong impression ; he
succeeded in captivating the affections of the
charming and innocent girl, and at last seduced
her. The regiment to which the ensign belonged
having received marching orders, Kate determined
to follow her seducer, and she marched with the
soldiers to London. The secret of her seduction
was not long before it got known and reached the
ears of the Commander-in-Chief, the Duke of York ;
who, being informed that the poor girl was in a
state of destitution, sent an aide-de-camp to discover
her retreat, which proved to be an unfurnished
room in the worst part of Spitalfields. The aide-
de-camp told her his errand, but at the same time
bound her to secrecy.

Early robbed of her virtue, abandoned by her
betrayer, and an utter stranger in London, she re-
proached herself with her sin, and in a paroxysm of
remorse and despair, the wretched girl determined
to poison herself. She had purchased some lauda-
num, and was on the point of swallowing it, when a
gentle rap at the door was heard outside. She opened
the door, and in walked the Duke of York. His
Koyal Highness was struck with her beauty, modest
deportment, and the frankness with which she an-
swered all his questions, and, on his taking leave,



116 Kate North.



said that he would send her a few necessaries to
make her comfortable ; upon which the poor girl fell
upon her knees, and, in a voice almost inarticulate
with emotion, thanked her benefactor.

When the Duke again called, she expressed her
o-ratitude for all she had received, but hinted to her
royal visitor that her earnest desire was to live an
honourable life. The Duke was astounded, but
said nothing in reply- He was simply dressed in
a plain riding costume, and was, without exception,
one of the finest men England could boast of. He
stood above six feet ; was rather stout, but well
proportioned ; his chest broad, and his frame mus-
cular ; his face bore the stamp of authority, and
every feature was handsome ; his brow was full
and prominent, the eye grayish, beaming with
benevolence ; and a noble forehead, with premature
gray hairs, though the Prince was hardly in the vale
of vears, completed the picture which presented itself
tii the unhappy Kate. The poor girl, overawed by
the royal presence, attempted to leave the room, but
was prevented. Her thoughts were how to avoid
the danger which she felt was awaiting her, if the
Eoval Duke should persist in his assiduities.

ilis Royal Highness, not knowing the girl's feel-
ings, paid her frequent visits, and each succeeding day
became more and more enamoured of her; though
upon all occasions she evinced a desire to avoid his
presence. The thoughts of her seducer, and the
degrading situation in which she stood, contrasting
with the benevolence, and apparent affection of the
Eoyal Duke, overwhelmed her. She wept bitterly,
and flung herself upon her bed in an agony of dis-
tress. Her first resolution was to tell the Duke



Kate North 1,17



that she could not bring herself to consent to his
proposals ; but scarcely was the resolution formed,
when the royal visitor again made his appearance.
He promised never to desert her ; and at length,
overcome by his kindness and his importunities, she
exclaimed, " If you really love me, Duke, I consent
to be yours." The Duke was made happy ; a house,
carriages, &c, were supplied to the fair Kate, who
lived with him many years. As she had a love for
reading, and a desire for knowledge, masters were
engaged for her ; and by dint of perseverance, and
applying herself to study, she was enabled to dis-
sipate that weight of sorrow which would have
otherwise hastened her death.

One summer morning a friend of the Duke of
York's called and told her that His Eoyal High-
ness would be under the necessity of giving up his
connexion with her, for he had promised the King,
his father, that if his debts were paid, he would
never more see the object of his affection. Poor
Kate's heart was full ; she could not reply to the
messenger, but bursting into tears, hid her face, and
flew out of the room. The sting which had been
inflicted was more than she could bear, and she was
seized with brain fever ; but with much care and
quiet, in course of time, the poor creature recovered
her health and composure of mind.

There was no woman so much admired in London
at the time as Kate North ; her bewitching man-
ners, the charm and grace of her conversation,
brought to her pretty house in Green Street innu-
merable admirers. Among those anxious to woo
her, a noble Scotch Lord was most assiduous in his
attentions, and he at length succeeded in prevailing



118 Sally Brooke.



upon her to accept the offer of his protection; she
lived with him several years, and bore him a daugh-
ter, who is now the wife of a baronet and the mother
of a numerous family. But the canker in Kate's mind
was all this while corroding her life. She visited
Paris for change of air and scene ; but there her senses
left her : she became raving mad, and died in a
foreign land, without a friend to close her eyes.

Sally Beooke. — There was a celebrated beauty
who in my day made a conspicuous figure both in
London and on the Continent. Miss Brooke, or as
she was more generally called, Sally Brooke, was
the daughter of a beneficed clergyman ; she had
agreeable manners, her education had been highly
finished, and she always mingled in the best men's
circles. For some reason which never was known,
she quitted her parents' roof and came to London,
where she created a considerable impression ; she
was most particularly noticed by the Prince of
"Wales, and consequently well received by those
who basked in princely favour. Not a word, how-
ever, was ever breathed against her honour ; and she
was always looked upon as a model of unimpeach-
able veracity Her beauty was such that she be-
came the object of general admiration, and her
portrait was taken by the first painters of the day.
The Hebe by Strceling, engraved by Heath, remains
to enable the world to form some idea of the match-
less charms of the original. Her figure was perfec-
tion, and the sculptor would have been delighted to
have obtained such a model. From whence she
derived her income was always a mystery : a silly
story was for a moment circulated that a person of



Sally Brooke. 119



the name of Bouverie, commonly called " The Com-
missioner," had succeeded in captivating her ; this,
however, soon died away. Whatever may have
been her resources, she kept up a good establish-
ment in Green Street, and lived always like a lady,
but without much show. Her house was the ren-
dezvous of the first men in London ; but to her own
sex she was distant and reserved, never admitting
any female to her familiarity.

On one occasion, Miss Brooke dined at the house of
a noble Marquis, where some of the fashionable young
men of the day were invited to meet her ; Mr Chris-
topher Nugent, a nephew of the celebrated Burke, was
most assiduous in his attentions, and begged per-
mission to pay her a visit ; the request was granted,
and a day and an hour named. Some of the party
present incidentally mentioned this engagement in
the presence of the widow of a Mr Harrison, a lady
who had access to the best circles in consequence
of her remarkable beauty, and who had some right
to place Mr Nugent on the list of her admirers.
Jealous of her rival, the widow dressed herself as a
boy, knocked at the door in Green Street, and was
admitted into the presence of Miss Brooke, who was
reclining on a sofa, whilst Nugent was on his knees
before her ; the distinguished lady, finding her lover
in such a position, rushed upon him, seized a knife,
and plunged it into his breast, fortunately without
inflicting a mortal wound. Whatever might have
been expected when this fact was generally known,
it was soon believed that love had healed the
wounds which jealousy inflicted ; for Nugent and
the lovely widow were soon seen walking together
in familiar conversation in Hyde Park.



120 Madame Grassini.

After being the admiration of the world of fashion
for several seasons, Sally Brooke, seeing wrinkles
coming into her once Hebe-like face, determined
to leave scenes where she no longer reigned as the
queen of beauty, but found other and fresher forms
admired, and went to Baden. There some scoun-
drels having robbed her of all she possessed, she
left the place, and arrived at the Hotel du Palais
Royal at Strasburg, where she remained some years,
" the world forgetting, by the world forgot." A
dropsical disease ravaged her once symmetrical
form, and she died in a land of strangers. Her
landlord nobly defrayed the expenses of her funeral,
although she was already much indebted to him.
Her family, however, liquidated her debts. Her
remains repose in the city of Strasburg, and her
tomb is one of the memorials of human vanity.

Madame Ghassini. — One of the curious types of
fiftv vears ago was the celebrated singer, Madame
Grassini. When I first met her in 1825, she still
possessed some remains of the remarkable beauty
which had Won for her the attention and admiration
of so many of the great men of the age. Napoleon
and Wellington, the Marshals of France, the Generals
of the allied armies, English, Russians, Prussians,
Austrians, as well as the Dukes and Marquises of
the Restoration, had all bowed before Grassini's
shrine, and had all been received with the same
Italian honhomie and liberal kindness. She
would often say, "Napoleon gave me this snuff-
box ; he placed it in my hands one mornino- when
I had been to see him at the Tuileries, and added,
' Voila pour toi ; tu es mie brave fille ! ' He was



Madame Grassini. 121

indeed a great man, but he would not follow my
advice. 11 aurait du s'entendre avec ce clier Vil-
ainton. By the by, c'est ce brave Due qui m'a
donne cette broche. II me la apporte un matin
que j'etais encore au lit. II parlait un singulier
baragouin, et je ne savais guere 1' Anglais ; mais
nous nous entendions tout de meme." And so she
would run on, with anecdotes and remarks on a
Ions list of admirers.

All Madame Grassini's recollections came out
quite naturally, with true southern frankness, or
rather cynicism ; and she narrated her liaisons
in as unconcerned a manner before every one she
met, as if she were speaking of her drive in the Bois
de Boulogne. Her face must have been in her
youth still handsomer than that of her niece, Giulia
Grisi. The eyes were larger and more expressive,
and she had more regular features and finer teeth.
There was a tragic dignity in the contour and
lineaments of her countenance, which formed a
strange contrast with her unrefined language and
gipsy style of dress ; every colour of the rainbow
was represented in her garments, which were tied
on without the smallest regard to taste, and gave
her very much the appearance of a strolling actress
equipped at Bagfair.

Grassini's once fine voice had, when I saw her,
degenerated into a sharp, loud, unmelodious soprano,
which grated harshly on the ear. She had no
cleverness or wit, and the bons mots that are cited
as hers are amusing only from the cynic bon-
homie which inspired them, as well as the strong
Italian accent with which they were spoken. One
of her mots in the days of the Empire is often cited.



122 Piety of Madame Catalani.

Napoleon had given the order of the Iron Crown to
the famous castrato singer, Veluti, who was at that
time all the fashion. This honour, at a period when
decorations were given more sparingly than they
are at present, created great discontent, especially
amongst military men ; several of whom were com-
plaining in no measured terms that the Lombard
order should have been bestowed upon a mere singer,
when Grassini interposed, with great vehemence, and
said, " I am surprised that you soldiers should be so
ungenerous, and not take into account sa blessure."

I never shall forget the astonishment of Lord

L , some thirty-five years ago, when Grassini

laid hold of him at a party at which I was present,
and began relating to him her adventures with his

father, " ce cher Charles S ." " II vous res-

semblait, Milord. II n'etait pas beau, — bien s'en
faut ; mais il etait plus aimable que vous — il
avait plus de grace."

When Pasta first made her appearance, and the
whole musical world was in an ecstasy of admira-
tion, Grassini shrugged her shoulders, and exclaimed,
" Ah, bah ! si vous m'aviez entendu, c'etait bien
autre chose."

Madame Grassini was the possessor of a large
fortune, and died in Paris at an advanced ao-e.

Piety of Madame Catalani. — I knew the cele-
brated singer, Madame Catalani, when she lived in
England. Her house was the rendezvous of many
of the French emigres ; and as she was very rich
and very generous, she frequently assisted those who
were in the greatest distress. At the head of her
profession, with the finest voice in the world, and



Miss T- and the Perverts. 123

the admired of all admirers, no whisper had ever
been heard against her fair fame, and she lived in
the utmost harmony with her husband, M. de
Valabreque. She was a most admirable woman in
every relation of life, and as truly pious as she was
kind and charitable.

An excellent friend of mine, Mr Fitzwilliam, so
well known in Paris, informed me that as he was
seated in the stage-box at the opera one night, when
Madame Catalani was about to appear in one of her
greatest parts, he observed her in the coulisse, before
she had to come on, in an attitude of devotion, and
evidently in earnest prayer, for the space of two or
three minutes. When she had finished, she made
the sign of the cross, and went on the stage, where,
it is needless to say, she was received with un-
bounded applause. My friend, on calling upon the
great singer next day, told her what he had ob-
served ; when she informed him, with a charming
simplicity, that she never went upon the stage
without first praying to God that He would grant
her the favour to be enabled to sing well, and to
meet with success ; nor did she ever fail, on retiring
to rest, to return thanks to Him for that and all
the other mercies vouchsafed to her.

Miss T and the Perverts. — Dean Lockyer,

a great favourite of George I., after a visit which
he paid to Pome, was asked by His Majesty, in a
jocular manner, as they sat over their bowl of
punch, whether he had succeeded in converting the
Pope. " No, your Majesty," replied the Dean ; " His
Holiness has most excellent Church preferment, and
a most desirable bishopric, and I had nothing better



124 Rachel's Debut.



to offer him." The same difficulties probably pre-
vented the success of Miss T , an excellent

young Scotch lady, who went to Rome some years
ago with the express purpose of converting to Pres-
byterianism the great head of the Roman Catholic

Church. Miss T , instead of succeeding in her

object, was herself converted, or perverted, to Ca-
tholicism, and is at this moment superior of a con-
vent at Edinburgh.

"When I was last at Rome I was much disgusted
at the absurd over-zeal of the English perverts, who
were first and foremost in every procession, pros-
trating themselves on the saliva-covered floor of the
churches before the most grotesque idols or absurd
relics, and kissing, with a display of the most ardent
devotion, St Peter's well-worn toe, just after the
same ceremony had been performed by some filthy
Trasteverine reeking of garlic and covered with
vermin. It used to be said, at the time of the
Restoration in 1815, that many of the followers of
Louis XVIII. were more royalistes que le vol ; and
the same saying may be applied to our vulgar
English perverts, who are more Popish than the
Pope, and make themselves the laughing-stock of
Antonelli, and the great majority of cardinals and
abbes, who believe in nothing at all.

Rachel's DltjUT. — When the inimitable Rachel
first appeared at the Theatre Francais, M. Prevost,
secretary of the theatre, and well known for his
good taste and judgment in all theatrical matters,
was accosted by the young debutante, begging him
to give her a few lessons in declamation. Prevost,
surprised at this request, replied, " Ma pauvre fille,



Rossini. 125



allez v'endre des bouquets." Soon after this Rachel
appeared for the first time in " Hermione." Her
acting electrified the audience, and on the fall of
the curtain bouquets were thrown to her from
nearly every box in the theatre. She modestly
courtesied, and picked them up ; then, taking them
to Prevost, she said, " I have followed your advice,
and bring you the bouquets for sale." Upon which
the secretary fell upon his knees before the great
tragedienne, acknowledging his haste and rudeness,
and expressing regret for having wounded the feel-
ings of the debutante.



o



Rachel and Judith. — Mademoiselle Judith,
the clever and accomplished actress of the Theatre
Francais, was one day abusing, in no measured
terms, her fellow-tragedienne, Mademoiselle Rachel,

to a mutual friend, the celebrated Doctor D .

After expatiating upon her many faults, and, above
all, her grasping rapacity, she wound up by saying,
" C'est une vraie Juive." The doctor, somewhat
surprised, said, " Surely, my dear Judith, that ought
not to be a fault in your eyes ; as you likewise
belong to the same religious persuasion." "True,"
replied the witty actress ; " but the difference is,
that I am a Jewess, and she is a Jew."

This reminds me of a late saying of James Roths-
child's, who, furious at the increasing prosperity of
his rival, Pereire, exclaimed, with the same forget-
fulness of their mutual nationality, " How can any-
body transact business with such a wretched little
Jew % "

Rossini. — Rossini has been for some time a resi-



126 Rossini.



dent in Paris ; and whenever he receives, every one
is anxious to be admitted to his soirees, where good
music is sure to be heard, or to his dinner-table,
where excellent macaroni is as certain to be served
up. The master looks in perfect health, and has
more of the Englishman than the Italian in his
personal appearance. The photographs that are
sold of him are perfect of their kind, and express
the good-nature and sly humour for which he is
remarkable. He lives a large portion of the year
at Passy, where the Parisian municipality made him
a present of the ground upon which he has built his
villa in the Italian style.

Eossini narrates, at his dinner parties, with great
glee, some of the circumstances that occurred to him
in London. He was made a great deal of by the
Prince Eegent ; and on one occasion he could not
help shewing how little pleasure he derived from
the attempts made by His Eoyal Highness to exe-
cute some passages, in which he totally failed owing
to his inability to keep time : for the Eegent, though
a great lover of music, and not a bad player on the
violin, constantly put out the maestro, to whom he
at last offered an apology. Eossini accepted it with
civility, and good-naturedly said, " There are few in
your Eoyal Highness's position who could play so
well."

Eossini was not aware of a law which then ex-
isted, by which a foreigner might be imprisoned for
debt without any warning, and merely upon the
affidavit of a creditor affirming that the stranger was
about to leave England. He was once arrested in
London by a bailiff, and carried to a sponging-
house, and though his incarceration was of short



Rossini. 127



duration, it gave him a disgust for a city where he
had otherwise been well received.

Eossim does not go as often to the opera as might
be expected, preferring the agreeable society of a few
friends. He has also a strong objection to go out to
parties ; even the Emperor's invitations have no
weight with him, and he has frequently begged to be
excused. Eossini is an enemy to modern innovations,
and has never yet trusted himself to the railroad.
No inducement could be found sufficiently strong
for him to travel otherwise than in a coach drawn
by horses, and that at so moderate a speed, that a
week was occupied by him in his journey from Paris
to Baden.

Madame Colbrand, the 'prima donna at Naples
when Eossini commenced his career as a composer,
exercised considerable influence on the success of
his earliest operas. They were written expressly
for her, at a period when the heyday of her youth
was gone by, she having long been an acknowledged
favourite both with the manager and King Ferdi-
nand. "When "Elisabetta" was produced in 1 8 1 5 by
the young maestro, Madame Colbrand retained all
the beauty of her voice, which, added to her physical
advantages and a commanding figure, fine features,
and dignified bearing, called forth a shout of ap-
plause as she appeared on the stage of San Carlo, in
the character of the English queen. The duet with
Leicester secured the success of this the first opera
that Eossini had produced at Naples, and others which
followed in quick succession were received with the
enthusiastic admiration they so fully merited.

But it was reserved for that unrivalled artiste,
Madame Pasta, to come up to the full exigencies of



128 Pio Nemo's Flight to Gaeta.



Eossini's musical genius. Her appearance at Her
Majesty's Theatre electrified the house ; and none
who are old enough to remember the great Diva,
can forget the wonderful pathos and power of that
rich-toned thrilling voice, whose somewhat husky-
notes seemed to deepen the effect of her singing
upon the hearts of her auditors.

To descend from grave to gay, I remember hear-
ing; one of her ardent admirers at that time, when
Pasta, having just come off the stage, was refresh-
ing herself, asking her, in his most romantic tones,
"Signora, prendete limonata o sorbetto V "No,"
answered the great singer in her deep voice ;
" prendo 'af-an'-af [half-and-half] adesso."

Pio Nono's Flight to Gaeta. — All who are per-
sonally acquainted with Pope Pius IX. are aware
that he is a man of extremely benevolent disposi-
tion, naturally liberal in his political views, and
desirous of promoting the welfare and happiness of
mankind. Political events in 1847-48, were singu-
larly calculated to bring out the peculiar character-
istics of a sovereign Pontiff who was called upon to
exercise his temporal power in an exceptional period
of modern Italian history. Pius IX. believed that
it was not incompatible with the attributes of the
Papacy, to participate in that great liberal move-
ment which shook so many thrones in the year
1848. The College of Cardinals, and especially the
conspicuous members of the order of the Jesuits,
became alarmed at the Pontiff's liberal ideas.
Knowing well his character, and observing the
progress of that overwhelming tide of popular
opinion which was sweeping sovereigns from their



Pio Non&s Flight to Gaeta. 129



thrones, and shaking the very foundations of govern-
ment, they did not at first openly oppose the
Pontiff's views, but gradually and insidiously set
about creating alarm in his mind, and above all,
sought to awaken doubts in the conscience of " the
Vicar of Christ." They calculated, and correctly,
that if they could not deter him from bestowing
mundane and political benefits on the Eoman
people, they could at least make him believe that
in doing so he was betraying the interests and
influences of the Catholic Church, and they suc-
ceeded in arousing a tempest of indignation and
alarm in the mind of Pio Nono, until he felt it
his duty to take to flight, more in the cause of the
Eoman Catholic Church than from fears concern-
ing personal safety.

The golden tints of an Italian sunset had faded
into that brief twilight which heralds darkness,
when a female, dressed in humble attire, was ad-
mitted to the garden of the Vatican by a gentle-
man in the confidence of the Pope. Neither of the
persons spoke as they made their way to a portion
of the palace not generally inhabited. On arriving
at the foot of a dark and narrow staircase, the
gentleman took from his pocket one of those little
knots of twisted wax-taper which the Italians carry
about with them, and lighted it ; then, without
uttering a word, he beckoned the lady to follow
him, and proceeded up the narrow stone staircase,
which, after many windings, led to a door, on which
three raps were given by the mysterious guide.
Almost immediately the door was opened by Pio
Nono himself, and the guide, making way for the
lady, retired. This was Madame Dodwell, to whom

i



130 Pio Nono's Flight to Gaeta.



I alluded in my second volume as one of the most
beautiful women of her time ; she was the widow
of an Englishman, though a Koman by _ birth, and
married en secondes noces to the Bavarian minis-
ter, and she had come to the Vatican in order to
arrange the clandestine flight of the Pontiff from
Koine.

His Holiness appeared to have lost all presence
of mind, and trembled as he took the lady by the
hand, and gazing earnestly on her still beautiful
face, said, " I look to you, madam, for arranging all
details. I have the utmost confidence in your dis-
cretion, and I know the firmness of your character."
The lady replied, " Has any plan of escape sug-
gested itself to your Holiness'?" "Yes," said the
Pontiff in a low voice ; " I think the best thing I
can do is to put on the gown of an ordinary priest,
and at daybreak to-morrow morning walk out of
the gates which conduct to the Fondi road. You,
madam, in your carriage, will have preceded me,
and, waiting at a convenient distance, you will
take me up. I have made arrangements with my
good and faithful friend, Ferdinand, King of Naples,
for a safe retreat at Gaeta ; and I have no doubt
that you, with your passport as Ambassadress of
Bavaria, can pass the customs authorities with little
or no difficulty" " Holy father," replied the lady,
pressing the Pontiff's hand, "the scheme seems to
me in every way satisfactory. I shall brino- with
me a confidential servant, a clever coachman, will-
ing to brave any danger." The Pope rose, and
bestowing his blessing on the lady, ushered her to
the door, adding, " I retire to pass the nio-ht in
prayer." " I shall be one mile from the gate on



Pio Nono's Flight to Gaeta. 131

the Fondi road," said the lady in a whisper, "by
four o'clock to-morrow morning."

At that hour a carriage might have been seen in
a bend of the road which leads to Naples. On the
box-seat beside the coachman sat a female, dressed
as a domestic servant, who "anxiously gazed around
while waiting the arrival of the Pope. She did not
wait long before she beheld approaching a thick-set
and somewhat corpulent priest, who advanced to-
wards the carriage with a rapid step, and covered
with dust. In a few minutes Pio Nono was seated
in the carriage with the ambassadress, and the
horses were whipped into a gallop, and did not
halt until they reached the small customhouse of
Fondi.

It was now ten o'clock, and they were immedi-
ately surrounded by the customhouse officers, who
demanded their passports. The chief official, look-
ing into the carriage, observed, " I do not find on
your passport the name of the priest who accom-
panies your excellency." " Oh," replied the lady,
"he is only my confessor." Unfortunately, the
priest shewed signs of uneasiness and alarm, which
excited the suspicion of the officer, w T ho said,
" In these times our orders are very strict, and
I cannot permit the padre, confessore to pass. T
must beg him to descend, and shall be obliged to
detain him until I get permission from Kome for
his release." The Pope, hearing this, was in a great
state of excitement ; he caught hold of the man's
hand, and whispered in his ear, " Caro amico, you
don't know who I am,— I am your sovereign and
father, Pius IX." Whereupon the officer turned
round to a little group of persons who had collected.



132 Sudden Turns of Fortune in France.

and exclaimed, " Per Baccho, here is a fellow who
calls himself our Pope!" The crowd peered into
the carriage, and indulged in a volley of ribaldry,
evidently not believing in the identity of the sove-
reign Pontiff. Matters were becoming serious, when
the Pope placed a bag of gold coin in the hands
of the officials, whilst the ambassadress threw hand-
fuls of scudi to the mob. A loud cheer was raised
by all present, and in a few minutes the carriage
was going at full speed, without fear of pursuit, on
the road to Gaeta.

Sudden Turns of Fortune in France. — I have
seen some of those marvellous changes in France
which have made all Europe wonder. Kings, states-
men, financiers, marshals, ambassadors, and ministers
of state, have risen up and faded away before my
eyes. An empire, an army, a city, have risen from
the old foundations, through the debris of a revolu-
tionary government. How long the present state of
things is to last, no human foresight can tell. A coup
d'etat has once succeeded ; why may not another %
One army has left its much-loved sovereign ; why
not another ? Every one believed that Charles X.
was popular with the army; the Gardes du Corps and
the Garde Eoyale seemed ready to lay down their
lives in his defence; and only a few days before the
revolution of July, no one had the slightest doubt
that every soldier was prepared to do his duty
whenever called upon. Yet how few accompanied
the fallen monarch on his way to embarkation for
a foreign land.

Men who are now playing an active part in life,
and occupying a great position, I have known in



Sudden Turns of Fortune in France. 133

very different circumstances, apparently not possess-
ing the means of elevating themselves to a higher
grade in society. For instance, one of the great men
near the Emperor was, prior to the revolution, ob-
liged to have recourse to the editorship of a journal,
Le Messager du Soir, in conjunction with his friend
Monsieur Brindeau, a person employed at the
Bourse. A late French ambassador, whose name has
so lately been before the public in connexion with
the march of affairs in Italy, filled a very humble
position when I was first made known to him ; he
was then only a clerk at a small bank in the Eue
Lafitte, kept by Messrs Orr & Goldsmith, which,
with many others in Paris, has vanished. My
friend married a daughter of a rich London distiller.

The last revolution, no doubt, brought down
some substantial houses, as it cleared away some

of doubtful character. Messrs &

retired upon that occasion ; but they have, how-
ever, again commenced separately. The railroad
to Boulogne was under the auspices of that firm;
but it has now become a part of the Great North-
ern line. The Rouen Eailway also aided Messrs

& in regaining their lost money, though

many of the original subscribers were unfortunately
ruined ; and the separation of the two partners of
the firm appears to have been attended with good
results to both, judging from the external appear-
ance of wealth exhibited in their magnificent hotels,
their splendid equipages, their powdered lackeys,
and their luxurious style of living.

True, the most solid and established houses do
not follow the example set by some of the moneyed
gentry. Few establishments maintain such a high



134 Sudden Turns of Fortune in France.



reputation as the old and respected firm of Mallet,
whose name is associated with worth, economy, and
good sense, and where everything is straightforward
and honourable. They have no box at the Grand
Opera, or at the Italiens, for their families, who do
not seek, by gorgeous promenades in the Bois de
Boulogne, to dazzle the eyes of the poor, and outvie
the demi mondc in insolence and extravagance ;
creating envy and dissatisfaction in those who may
have suffered from the failure of other establish-
ments. Indeed some of the financiers of the day
have been of great public service, and their honoured
names are not to be associated with those who have
played a game disreputable to themselves, and
injurious to their fellow-citizens.

Messrs Bothschild and Pereire — who may not
like to see their names in the same paragraph, as it
is generally believed that they are by no means on
gnod terms with each other — are amongst the lead-
ing moneyed men of the day, and both of them have
been of service to the state. The Rothschilds have
the credit of being very liberal to those who require
their aid, although by no- means allowing themselves
to be imposed upon by the solicitations of the idle
and dissolute. Many acts of kindness are related
<if them; and they are known to be generous in
their hospitality, and charitable to the stranger.
M. Pereire, who was once a clerk in the house of
Rothschild, has made a rapid fortune, and has ac-
quired a high reputation as a financier, by founding
that successful institution, "The Credit Mobilier ;"
and he has many warm friends, who speak hio-hly of
his liberality and disinterestedness. He has built a
splendid hotel near the British Embassy, and fur-



Parisian Cochieydom. 135

nished it with artistic taste, and there he receives
his friends with splendid hospitality .

Pamsian Cockneydom. — Although I entertain a
high opinion of the Parisians and Frenchmen gener-
ally, I believe that there is no human being more
thoroughly ignorant and conceited than the un-
educated Parisian Cockney or badaud. Of other
countries he has scarcely any knowledge ; and he is
firmly convinced that the French are the masters of
the world, and that no people on the face of the
earth can enter into competition with them in war,
literature, arts, or science : perfection is only to be
found in his native land. He turns up his nose
contemptuously at everything English ; all his no-
tions of England being derived from the low theatres
on the Boulevards, where British, Kussian, Austrian,
and Prussian soldiers are invariably put hors de
combat by the French. He is very fond of talking
of an invasion of the " Little Island," and fully be-
lieves that sooner or later a Zouave will be " Duke
of London," and some employe, of the French Go-
vernment, " Prefect of the Thames." He is firmly
convinced that the English visitors come to Paris
only to be astonished at the magnificent edifices of
the city, to gaze at the Louvre and the beautiful
monuments; though the great attraction to them is,
in his opinion, the good dinners that are to be eaten
in Paris, for he thinks that there is nothing in Lon-
don to tempt the appetite but half-raw beef. As for
fresh vegetables, sauce for fish, and good pastry,
nothing of the sort is to be obtained there, and a
French beggar would disdain to partake of the
meals which the ravenous Londoner, devours. But



136 Parisian Cochneydom.



when John Bull comes to Paris, the beautiful metro-
polis of France,— of Europe,— he finds apartments
to lodge in superior even to those which the Queen
occupies at Buckingham Palace or Windsor Castle,
at a moderate price, while his table is served with
a luxury nowhere else to be found.

Louis Philippe committed a great mistake, and
caused much mischief, by his patronage of the
bourgeoisie, who not only introduced vulgar man-
ners, but conducted themselves with great inso-
lence ; aping, as far as they could, the style of
persons of good blood and high rank and station.
Unfortunately, the revolution of 1830 had over-
thrown the fortunes of one half of the aristocratic
families, who were consequently compelled to shut
up their hotels, discharge their servants, and retire
from the world. Since that period the domestics
have imitated their masters in their follies, and
flaunt themselves in silk dresses and expensive bon-
nets, instead of the pretty muslin caps and modest
dimity gowns which formerly became the bonnes
and cook-maids. Wages necessarily became doubled;
nay, even tripled ; the tradesmen connived with the
servants to plunder the family, and extravagance
became the order of the day. Paris has rapidly in-
creased in size, and the idle and dissolute have con-
sequently congregated in this overgrown city. But,
alas ! it also became the rendezvous of all the mis-
creants that other great cities have expelled : here
are to be found the liberated convict and the de-
praved harlot, rioting in luxury, and offending the
eyes of modesty and rectitude. It is calculated
that the j)opulation now exceeds 1,500,000 souls
and to preserve order, and give security to the



Parisian Cockneydorn. 137

honest portion of the inhabitants, it is necessary
that 40,000 police should be kept in constant em-
ployment.

I cannot refrain from alluding also to the extor-
tionate prices which, I regret to say, my fellow-
countrymen are compelled to pay for every article
they require. There is a league amongst the shop-
keepers, the proprietors of hotels, the restaurateurs,
and even the humble porter whose occupation it
is to stand at the corner of the street; they have
one common interest, which is to extract from the
pockets of John Bull whatever money they can
extort from him on any pretext.

The large and magnificent shops in the Eue de
la Paix, in the Rue Castigleone, in the Faubourg St
Honore, and the Eue de Eivoli, are sources of im-
mense wealth ; and it is a well-known fact that, in
the course of six years, tradesmen who occupy them
accumulate large fortunes, and are enabled to retire
from business. Should a war occur between France
and England, all those splendid establishments
would be closed ; for it is chiefly on the money
spent by foreigners, and more especially by the
English, that Paris tradesmen subsist. If the
Duchesse d'Abrantes, whose Memoirs were so uni-
versally read during the Restoration, had been alive
at the present time, she would have been horrified
at the marvellous change for the worse that has
taken place. The Duchess, who was evidently a per-
son of enlarged mind, and fully alive to the iniquities
of this wicked world, says in one of her volumes
that there is not a more industrious class of per-
sons than the artisans of Paris, who toil eighteen
hours out of the twenty-four, and carry to the



138 Parisian Cockneydom.

shopkeeper the produce of their labour ; and, by
dint of coaxing and entreaty, induce him to give
enough to keep their body and soul together ; im-
mediately after, the extortionate shopkeeper ob-
tains from some of his customers a price equal
to a profit of five hundred per cent. This sys-
tem prevails in every department ; the industri-
ous peasant who brings to the market the produce
of his garden, is compelled by the municipal au-
thorities to sell at the Halle, (the great market,)
before seven in the morning, whatever he has
brought. If he does not find customers, he is
quickly surrounded by innumerable harpies, who
induce the hard-working labourer to sell to them
his vegetables and fruit at less than half their
value. These harpies are themselves small vendors
of these articles, and I do not hesitate to affirm that
they realise a profit of four hundred per cent, on
their bargains. Then the wine-merchant, who pur-
chases his wines at Bordeaux or Macon, or the bor-
ders of the Ehone, generally receives a genuine
and pure produce of the grape ; but when this wine
is brought to market in Paris, it has marvellously
increased in bulk, for every cask of real wine is, by
the aid of water and logwood, converted into three,
and sold as genuine wine.

A celebrated surgeon, a resident of the Faubourg
St Germain, related to me the following fact. He
accepted an invitation to dine at the house of a
well-known nobleman, distinguished in the fashion-
able world. The dinner was all that the most deli-
cate taste could offer ; the cuisine was inimitable,
the wines of the choicest cru, the dessert rich and
tempting. Several of the plats left the table un-



Parisian Cockneydom. 139



touched ; the doctor observed that pine apples and
grapes were abundant, and that so plentiful was
the supply, that many plates were taken from the
table exactly as they were placed upon it. The
dinner being over, the gentlemen and ladies retired
to the salon, and they had scarcely entered it,
when a relation of the Amphitryon's unexpectedly
arrived, after a long journey, from the provinces.
He was received with the utmost cordiality by the
family, and was naturally asked if he had dined ;
on his reply in the negative, that in fact he had
tasted nothing since he left Lyons, the bell was
rung, and the servant ordered to prepare something
for the hungry traveller. The servant shortly re-
turned to the salon, and, to the inexpressible aston-
ishment of every one present, said that the inaitre
d'hdtel had desired him to say that there was no-
thing left ; on the maitre d'hdtel being questioned,
he confirmed the statement of the domestic, where-
upon he immediately received from his indignant
master orders to quit his service in twelve hours.
On receiving his ill-gained wages, the man acknow-
ledged that he had disposed of the dinner amongst
his fellow-servants, as he considered that every
article became his property, with the exception of
the dessert, which belonged to Chevet of the Palais
Eoyal, who farmed out the fruit and sweets that
composed it at a certain sum per dinner.

The porters, or, as they now denominate them-
selves, the concierges, are perhaps the worst species
of servants that ever infested a domestic establish-
ment. They are inadequately paid by the pro-
prietor, and consequently prey upon those who have
the misfortune of living under their surveillance.



140 Improvements in Paris.

In fact they are rogues and thieves in disguise :
they compel the tradesmen who serve those who
live in the house to pay five per cent, for every
article that enters ; wine, wood, coal, and indeed
almost every article, is subject to this abominable
mode of levying contributions from the residents.

Improvements in Paris. — Paris has within four
or five years undergone marvellous changes, which
reflect the highest honour on those who have
contributed to its splendour at the present time.
The melancholy, gloomy, miserable portion of the
city might be very charming to the artist and
archaeologist, who admired mediaeval pointed roofs,
fantastic domes, labyrinths of galleries, and windows
that seemed as if not intended to admit the air or
the sunlight ; whilst liquid mud and filthy streams
sluggishly meandered through the dark and narrow
streets and passages, from which the frightened
foreigner could scarcely extricate himself. A beau-
tiful, fairy -like city has replaced the crowded heaps
of dingy, dark dwellings ; the blind alleys and the
fetid courts have been exchanged for lofty and ele-
gant mansions, wide and well-paved thoroughfares,
and spacious open places. A writer of antiquity deno-
minated Paris Leukotokia, the white city. Well now
does it merit that name. All that was may have
been picturesque; but all that is must be pronounced
delightful. We may have lost the identical spot
where the body of Admiral Coligny fell on St Bar-
tholomew's day ; we may inquire after the street
through which passed the carriage where sat the
good and glorious Henri of Navarre, when he was
assassinated by Eavaillac ; the narrow street has



Improvements in Paris. 141



also disappeared where the assassins lurked with an
infernal machine to blow up the First Consul. But
upon sites once covered with cemeteries, with sewers,
with pits, and with abominations indescribable, have
arisen verdant lawns, squares, and gardens, where,
at the vernal season, flowers charm the eye and
gratify the sense, while sparkling fountains pour
forth their cool streams ; spaces where the sun and
air give life and animation to all around ; man-
sions where domestic or polished society can enjoy
all the luxuries and comforts which art and taste
have introduced.

This transformation has been effected at an enor-
mous expense, by skilful architects and sculptors,
under the control of one great sovereign ; it has
been the result of unremitting energy on the part
of those who planned the improvements, and the
indomitable toil of those who carried them out.
It was indeed a sight worthy this engineering age,
to see the thousand workmen congregated upon
various spots, the tram-roads, and trains of horses
and waggons bearing enormous weights of stone
from the neighbouring quarries, the crumbling
houses marked for destruction, and the deep founda-
tions dug for new Boulevards on both banks of the
Seine, the delight of Paris. Palaces have sprung
up, which may give historic recollections to future
generations quite as interesting as those we have
received from the Tour de Nesle, where a queen
carried on her licentious intrigues ; or as the Hotel
de Sens, and the Hotel des Tournelles, the resi-
dence of princes, where bravoes issued forth to
murder, and in whose dungeons languished the good
and the brave, as well as the criminal ; or the



142 Improvements in Paris.

convents of the Cordeliers, the Benedictines, and
the thousand lazy monks of the olden time. One
of the most glorious achievements of the present
reign has been the completion of that magnificent
edifice, the Louvre. Its saloons, lined with trea-
sures of fine art, were the glory of France ; but a
large portion of this vast structure, only a very
'i-short time ago, wore a most ignoble aspect : columns,
with rich capitals, were at their base disfigured by
all that was filthy and disgusting. The square that
had displayed the talents of Jean Goujon, and of
Perrault, — where Catherine de Medicis and her sons,
where Henry IV and Margot, gazed from the
windows, — adjoined stalls where squalid people
offered for sale dogs, birds, the sweepings of bric-a-
brac shops ; spots infested by the lazzaroni of Paris,
thieves, and courtesans. A more painful contrast of
luxury and misery never disfigured the most attrac-
tive part of a luxurious city. Napoleon I., in the
plenitude of his power, and Louis Philippe, with all
the bourgeoisie of Paris to back him, could not drive
away the human vermin that infested the place ;
nor did they add a single stone to improve this chef
d'ceuvre of architecture. At length, to the immortal
honour of the Emperor Napoleon III., the work has
been accomplished, and the Louvre is now a palace
worthy of the chefs d'oeuvres of art, which enrich
its interior. Indeed, the inauguration of the Louvre
is an era in the annals of Paris.

The cleansing, draining, and lighting of the streets
have also been admirably carried out ; and the fa-
mous city of Paris now appears with renovated grace
and beauty, and decorated with a thousand orna-
ments, which attract the eyes of the Avhole world.



French Criminal Jurisprudence. 143

There has been another immense improvement : the
groves of the Bois de Boulogne, formerly the rendez-
vous of duellists, footpads, and gipsies, have been
transformed as if by the hand of an enchanter, and
flowers and foliage, velvet turf, cascades, and wind-
ing streams combine to delight the senses and in-
vigorate the health of the promenaders. Here lovers,
idlers, poets, the humble and the wealthy, lounge
their hours away amid joyous scenes, where art and
skill have successfully combined the varied charms
of nature.

French Criminal Jurisprudence. — A trial for
a criminal offence is one of the most remarkable
scenes that France affords. In every respect it
essentially differs from what occurs in England, and
produces a sensation of disgust amongst those who
have witnessed an offender arraigned in the British
Isles. A feeling of sympathy is there entertained
for the prisoner at the bar, whom the law assumes
to be innocent until he is proved guilty. Seldom is
any emotion exhibited, or if there be any, it is
mostly in favour of the prisoner. Far different is
the case in a French court of justice. An unfortu-
nate being seems to be set up to be mentally tor-
tured ; every effort is made by the judge and by the
'procureur-general to convict him out of his own
mouth ; he is cross-questioned, brow-beaten, and
every device is employed to entrap him into a con-
fession. He has most probably been confined for
months previously on suspicion, and during that
time has been cross-examined, entreated, and per-
suaded by a juge d 'instruction to acknowledge
himself guilty. Enfeebled in body by long confine-



144 French Criminal Jurisprudence.

ment, and harassed in mind, he is called upon, before
an excitable auditory, to combat with highly-edu-
cated legal opponents, who watch with unwearied
vigilance every change of countenance, every expres-
sion of emotion, listen with eager anxiety to any
faltering of the voice or hesitation of speech, and
seem to rejoice if, by accumulation of evidence,
they can fix upon him the stigma of crime. He
has no protection from either judge, jury, or prose-
cutors ; he is interrogated, not with a view of
ascertaining the truth, much less of proving inno-
cence, but in order to prove him guilty. The
spectators, in a state of excitement, watching with
eager curiosity every phase of the scene acting
before them, do not disguise their emotions ; com-
passion, horror, disgust, vengeance, and other passions
are awakened and expressed openly, often with the
purpose of producing an effect upon the judge and
jury-

The criminal process in France will probably be
somewhat improved, and imprisonment before trial
will then be no longer enforced ; for the highest
legal authorities are occupied with the endeavour
to alleviate some of the worst features of French
criminal trials : indeed it is generally understood
that the Emperor will soon sign a decree prepared
by the Minister of Justice, which will modify the
existing practice, and that the system of finding
bail, which has so long existed in England, will be
substituted for preliminary imprisonment.

The banker Mires was long confined in prison
before trial, and afterwards his innocence was estab-
lished by a jury. In a recent notorious trial, where
a rich landed proprietor at Marseilles was accused



French Criminal Jurisprudence. 145



of attempting to murder his servant, the accused
suffered eight months' imprisonment before lie was
brought to trial, and then was pronounced not
guilty ; but he had no redress for this long and
painful incarceration. The eminent men now at
the French bar are for the most part anxious for
an amelioration of this and other defects in the
Code Napoleon.

Some of the leading advocates take an active part
in politics, and for the most part belong to the
Liberal party. M. de Berryer, however, one of the
most eloquent men of the day, and who defended
Prince Louis Napoleon after the memorable affair
at Boulogne, is an acknowledged and stanch
Eoyalist; he supports the claims of the Comte de-
Chambord, who very wisely says, " I will come to
you, if you want me, and send for me ; but other-
wise, I intend remaining quietly at Frohsdorff. A
crown has no great charms for me ; and if I put yours
upon my head, Frenchmen may some time or other
wish to take it off, and very possibly my head at
the same time." What the politics of M. Dupin
may be, now or hereafter, nobody can well guess.
He was once a stanch Orleanist, then a confirmed
Eepublican, and is now a lukewarm Napoleon ist.
M. Marie, an accomplished orator, remains a Re-
publican : he became a member of the Provisional
Government, but was somewhat timid , always fear-
ing some excess upon the part of the people. M.
Cremieux, one of the ugliest little men that France
can boast of, seems to have retired from political
life : energetic, even violent in action when speak-
ing, he is a sound lawyer and an able advocate.

M. Jules Favre is a great favourite ; an acute

K



146 French Criminal Jurisprudence.

and intellectual pleader, he is employed by all
parties ; but liis ultra-liberal views are not always
relished. He is a fluent speaker, and has the tact
of making juries attentive to him; for he has a
plain, straightforward manner of speaking, and his
language is pure and correct. None of the first men
at the bar at the present day have been remark-
able for literary success ; in fact it would appear
that literary pursuits are considered almost incom-
patible with legal distinction. There is an English-
man, a Mr Jones, practising with some success at
the French bar. But there is a striking difference in
many points from the practice of the law of Eng-
land, which renders any approximation of the courts
of the two countries quite out of the question.

There is an idea in France that French literature
is predominant throughout the whole of Europe ;
and it is the firm belief of the mass of the French
people that their authors of the present day take pre-
cedence over all others. Undoubtedly French dramas
and novels have lately found favour in England : Vic-
tor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, Madame George Sand,
have found translators of their more striking ro-
mances ; but their historians, philosophers, and
moralists are much less known and esteemed abroad
than those of Germany ; indeed, the German lan-
guage is beginning to be studied by thinking men
and women with much more assiduity than the
French. French plays, adapted to the English
stage, have of late years been more popular in
England than the Shakspearean drama ; but literary
revolutions are of such frequent and rapid occur-
rence, that the caprice of to-day may be forgotten
to-morrow. Dramas of political intrigues are now



The Paris Insurrection q/'1848. Ii7

the order of the day in Paris ; will they be trans-
ferred to the London boards %

Every one in France is looking to the effect that
will be produced by free trade in dramatic literature ;
importations from England will probably be more-
frequent, as the censorship has generally exerted its
influence to prevent the stage offering a representa-
tion of the manners and customs of the British, and
has weighed heavily upon authors and managers.
Freed from the tyranny that has confined the human
mind to a certain class of ideas, new dramatists will
arise, and we shall have fresh subjects brought on the
French stage ; genuine comedy may then assert her
powers of depicting "the living manners as they rise."

The Paris Insurrection of 1848. — No one, who
now for the first time visits Paris, can comprehend
how such a magnificent city could be converted into
a strong fortress, with impediments to the action of
the military on every side. The magnificent, broad,
and well-macadamised streets, through which suc-
cessive regiments and parks of artillery can move
without dread of molestation, seem little adapted
for emeutes and barricades. But far different was
the aspect a few years since. Narrow, close, con-
fined streets, paved with Irage stones, were alone
to be seen; and there were quarters of the town
inhabited by a desperate and poor population,
in a state of squalid misery, and ever ready to fly
to arms and raise barricades at the summons of a
few political fanatics. "When an opposition to the
existing government was decided upon by a few
active demagogues, there poured forth, from dens of
darkness and abodes of filth, a mass of people who



148 The Paris Insurrection q/*1848.

at other periods scarcely ever saw daylight, and who
wildly expected to lessen their sufferings and im-
prove their condition by acts of violence. No one
had attempted to ameliorate their condition ; it was
not dreamt that, by the judicious expenditure 0/
money, these people might be made good citizens,
and enabled to throw off the yoke of crime and
misery Yet, in a few short years, a marvellous
change has come over the spirit of the " dangerous
classes." The spots where they congregated are
covered with lofty mansions, and the former inhabi-
tants have migrated to less densely-populated dis-
tricts, and are able to obtain honest employment.
The Faubourg St Antoine, the Barriere du Tr6ne,
and the environs are no longer under the control of
two or three fiery demagogues, but have become
the quiet habitations of a class that has learnt to
respect itself.

When, in former days, an emeute was decided
upon, it was the result of much previous delibera-
tion by the leading members of secret clubs, who
planned a strategic movement, which they induced
a number of ill-fed, ill-conditioned, discontented,
and reckless men to carry out. Their object was to
impede the march of troops, by the erection of bar-
ricades ; to take possession of the neighbouring
houses, and from the windows hurl missiles of
every description upon their opponents. From the
Batignolles in the north, from St Antoine in the
east, and from the Quartier Latin in the south, there
simultaneously poured forth hosts of the humbler
class ; their great object being to meet near the Hotel
de Ville, and, gaining possession of it, to form a pro-
visional government, and issue thence proclamations.



The Paris Insurrection of 1848. 149

In 1848, Louis Philippe's government succumbed
to the manoeuvres of the insurgents ; but when,
at a later period, General Cavaignac made up his
mind to support the Legislative Assembly, the
tables were turned. The battle, however, was most
sanguinary — the resistance desperate. In a few
hours rose up, as if by the labour of Cyclopean s,
masses of stone gathered from the paved streets,
which seemed to defy all attempts to overthrow
them ; and behind these barricades stood resolute
and excited men, armed with every species of offen-
sive weapon, vociferating defiance and contempt of
those who attempted to dislodge them; while every
house in the neighbourhood became an arsenal of
deadly missiles. The insurgents would have gained
the victory had their opponents not sprung from
their own ranks ; for the soldiery were little inclined
to act. But the National Guard, upon whom rested
almost the whole of the encounter, had fortunately
been recruited by many of the very men who had
joined the insurrection in the previous February
Lamartine and his colleagues had, with great pru-
dence, and more judgment than they usually ex-
hibited, enlisted, in some regiments to which they
gave the name of ' : La Garde Mobile," all the idle
youno' men and gamins of Paris who had taken up
arms on the former occasion. Animated by a love
of the service they had so lately joined, and con-
trolled by military discipline, they forgot that they
were firing upon their friends and relations ; and,
being boldly led on, they executed their task with
devotion and courage. Dreadful was the carnage
and devastation : the next day the Faubourg St
Antoine and the neighbourhood of the Bastille



150 French Statesmen and Journalists.

presented the appearance of a city taken by
storm.

General Cavaignac had not been sparing in his
chastisement of the people, and a vivid recollec-
tion of the punishment he had inflicted was long
preserved. But no beneficial results followed this
terrible battle ; for the Legislative Assembly were
satisfied with having thus made an example of the
misguided, and strengthened their own power.
With the usual heedlessness of the Parisians, the
whole affair was nearly forgotten in a few weeks, and
the lives that had been lost were scarcely thought of.
Eleven generals had been either killed or wounded,
and the slaughter had been tremendous ; but it pro-
duced no permanent effect : no effort was made to
prevent future risings. Bed-republicanism, it is true,
had received a severe blow ; but nothing was done to
alleviate the sufferings, or enlighten the understand-
ings of the people ; nor was the good feeling of
the nation appealed to. Indeed, excepting in two or
three of the soi-disant Liberal journals, no narrative
of the fatal events was published ; for a great strug-
gle for power was then going on amongst the differ-
ent parties. Legitimists, Orleanists, and Liberals
were only occupied in calculating their strength in
the Chamber ; and aspiring individuals indulged in
hopes that the party to which they looked for their
own advancement would triumph.

French Statesmen and Jouenalists in 1851. —
Ever since my first visit to Paris in 1815, there has
been political agitation in France ; unfortunately not
that of statesmen, but that of ambitious men, each
one anxious to fill the highest office in the state, for



M. Guizot. 151



which every one here thinks he has sufficient capa-
city- The doctrine that the humblest may rise to
the highest rank is well adapted for the army,
where personal courage is of the first importance ;
but in the state, where success depends upon in-
tellect, such a notion is not only fallacious, but
fatal. Under the reign of Louis Philippe, any one
who could write a decent leading article in a news-
paper immediately fancied himself versed in state
policy, and felt persuaded that he had nothing to
do but fly at high game in order to gratify his
ambition. The success of M. Guizot and M. Thiers
seemed a sufficient guarantee for the access to
power of innumerable petty scribblers, who had
neither the wisdom of the doctrinaire nor the
eloquence of the historian.

M. Guizot. — M. Guizot, when he commenced his
lectures on public history at the Sorbonne, appeared
like a luminous meteor on the political horizon. The
expression of his views of ancient literature, the
energy and the dignity with which he explained to
his admiring audience the philosophy and the re-
ligion of Rome and Greece, his ironical comparison
of the present claimants to renown, were listened to
with an enthusiasm which proved how thoroughly
they -were understood, how fully they were appre-
ciated. It was a sight which can never be effaced
from memory, when the crowded hall was filled
with impatient students awaiting the presence of
their much loved professor, who with difficulty
threaded his way, amid immense applause, with a
slow and solemn step, to the chair of the professor.
He poured forth, at first slowly, in a continued



152 M. Thiers.



flow of elegant language, eulogiums upon the great
writers in his own language, and then, with an im-
petuosity that seemed to convey an electric impetus
around, his face, at first sombre and inexpressive,
lighted up with supernatural animation ; and as
he gazed around, he inspired each of his auditors
with the conviction that he was listening to a be-
ing of a superior order.

In the Assembly, M. Guizot spoke in a different
style from what he did at the Sorbomie ; and it
was somewhat difficult to define the emotion that
predominated in him : no sense either of triumph
or of defeat was apparent. Cold, sombre, and medi-
tative, he spoke with authority ; and it was only at
rare intervals that anv great animation was visible
in his countenance. It is no discredit to those
statesmen that they earned their livelihood by writ-
ing for the newspapers ; indeed, M. Guizot, aided
by Madame Guizot, derived his subsistence for a
long time from his literary labour. But they were
the innocent cause of much mischief , for many a
scribe who contributed a few lines to some journal
anticipated the time when he might become Prime
Minister of France.

M. Thiers. — It was in the Legislative Assembly
that M. Thiers appeared to most advantage; but
neither his matter nor his manner awoke the same
feeling as those of his great competitor for power.
An acute reasoner and an eloquent declaimer, though
his voice is naturally harsh, and shrill, his gestures
are striking and animated, and he fixed the attention
even of his political opponents. He marshalled his
arguments with incredible skill, and brought out



Lamartine. 153



the caprices of his thought with energy and with
decision. His countenance became animated as he
spoke ; and though his brilliant intelligence is tinged
by a sarcastic expression not always befitting, his
physiognomy is pleasing and occasionally winning.
Upon the British Ambassador, Lord Normanby, he
seemed to produce a great effect ; for the noble Lord,
who generally slumbered gently through the de-
bate in the diplomatic loge, always woke up when
M. Thiers commenced one of those brilliant attacks
upon the administration, which at length unseated
his powerful rival.

Lamartine. — There was a period when much
was expected from Lamartine. Certainly no one did
more for the safety of Paris than he did during the
first days of the revolution of 1848; but there was
too much poetry in his head for a statesman. He
was too much absorbed in himself to think of his
friends ; the consequence was, that he never made
up a party to support him indeed he always stood
aloof from any associations. His soirees on Saturday
evenings in the Eue de 1'Universite were most agree-
able, but were only social : every one sought access
to them. They were presided over by Madame
Lamartine, a highly-accomplished Englishwoman,
daughter of Colonel Birch of Norfolk. She was an
amateur artist, and took great delight in sculpture ;
a bust of her husband from her chisel is one of the
best likenesses we have of Lamartine. At his re-
unions were to be seen the principal literary and
political persons of the day, and all the distinguished
artists ; but amongst them were no attached friends.
Many persons expected that he would be elected



154 Prince Louis Napoleon.

the first President of the Eepublic . and this most
probably would have been the case, had not Louis
Napoleon presented himself, for Lamartine was pre-
ferred to Cavaignac. The poet foresaw that the
name of Bonaparte would cany everything before
it, and was one of those who opposed the admis-
sion into France of all who belonged to that
family.

Prince Louis Napoleon. — Great was the eager-
ness of every one to know the opinion that had been
formed in England of the Prince Louis Napoleon.
It was only known that he was looked on there as
a perfect gentleman ; but nobody could understand
why he should have had himself sworn in as a
special constable on the occasion of the Chartist
demonstration of the 10th of April, and various
were the reasons assigned.

His first speech in the Legislative Assembly was
expected to be an explanation of his policy ; it was,
however, brief and modest. The election of the
Prince as President of the Eepublic may be con-
sidered as a national triumph, as it certainly proved
a national benefit ; for he immediately took steps
to organise a competent ministry, and commenced
carrying into effect the improvements that his mind
had long been engaged in studying. His speeches,
his addresses, gave evidence of a vigorous intelli-
gence, and he now and then astonished his ministers
by the boldness of his language. This was the case
at the inauguration of the railroad at Dijon, on
which occasion he delivered an address, which M.
Leon Faucher, his then Prime Minister, took care to
alter before he gave it publicity- The Prince had



The Coup dlEtat. 155

occasion sometimes to change his ministry, according
as circumstances permitted, but his selections uni-
formly gave satisfaction to the country. The sta-
tion of Minister of Finance was filled for the most
part by M. Achille Fould, who, amid all the varied
changes in the political world, has maintained a
well-deserved popularity, whilst his attachment to
the Emperor has been both political and personal.

The Coup d'Etat. — The simple narrative of an un-
prejudiced individual who has witnessed some of the
scenes of that extraordinary event, the coup d'etat
of 2d December 1851, and who has had oppor-
tunities of forming a judgment for himself of many
of the circumstances attendant upon it, will, I am
persuaded, be received with indulgence as a contri-
bution of facts, for the accuracy of which I am able
to vouch from my personal knowledge.

As a boy I read with infinite delight the volumes
that described one of the most remarkable revolu-
tions that history has recorded, and which was
effected almost entirely by two daring women. The
Empress Catherine of Eussia and the Princess Dash-
koff in a single night hurled from his throne the
despotic autocrat of all the Eussias ; when his bold
and ambitious wife seized his crown, and ruled the
empire with uninterrupted power.

I have perused with attention most of the works
that have contained a narrative of the events dur-
ing the memorable days of December 1851, and I
am persuaded that the public mind in England has
been influenced by accounts written by persons who,
not having witnessed them, or been acquainted with
the state of society in Paris, have drawn inferences



156 The Coup d'Mat.

not j ustified by the actual position of affairs at that
eventful period. One work, written by a man of
high literary talent, appears to have been brought out
for the express purpose of calumniating the Em-
peror and his ministers. How fallacious are some
of the contributions to the history of that time may
be inferred from the fact that they affect to narrate
what was passing within the walls of the palace of
the Elysee whilst the conflict was going on in the
streets of Paris ; even so minutely, as to describe
the attitude and sayings of the individual who, at
the same time, is spoken of as solitary, and brood-
ing by himself over the probable issue of the
struggles.

State of Public Feeling in Paris. — Every think-
ing person in Paris, towards the close of the year
1851, anticipated, with considerable apprehension,
that early in the ensuing spring a great change must
take place in the government of the country. The
constitution, which had been proclaimed with ap-
parent enthusiasm in the year 1848, appeared likely
to produce anarchy and confusion ; for a new
President and an Assembly had to be elected, and
whatever claims the individual who had once acted
as head of the state might have upon the country,
he was, according to the constitution, ineligible
again to fill that high position. There was every
reason to fear that the Eed Eepubhcans would
make a desperate effort to gain power, even should
the streets of Paris again be deluged with blood ;
indeed, the language of some of their adherents
boldly proclaimed that liberty could only be secured
by means of the guillotine. In effect, a struggle for



The Prince-President. 157

power had commenced between the Prince-Presi-
dent and the representatives of the people. The
Assembly had refused to grant to the chief of the
state the funds necessary to defray the expenses
attendant upon his position ; it manifested distrust
of his ministers, and jealousy of his popularity with
the army, of which Changarnier had the command ;
and so mean were the devices resorted to to annoy
Louis Napoleon, that he was compelled to wear at
reviews the uniform of a general of the National
Guard. A decided opposition was being organised
against his re-election ; and there is no doubt that
his personal liberty was menaced by his opponents,
and that, had not the coup d'etat taken place, his
career would have terminated in the fortress of
Vincennes. The candidature of the Prince de
Joinville for the Presidency of 1852, which was very
popular in France, even among the Liberal party,
and seemed likely to be successful, disquieted the
Bonapartists ; and the violent and insolent language
of General Changarnier aroused Louis Napoleon to
the conviction that the time for action had arrived.
It was the general opinion that a crisis was rapidly
approaching, and only the President had the skill
and courage to place himself at the head of the
movement, and act decisively.

The Prince-President. — The Prince-President
naturally looked to that great source of power in
all governments, the army, as his strongest support ;
as military discipline secures prompt and efficient
action at the bidding of one directing mind. The
army, having already been disgusted by the inter-
ference of the Legislative body, felt humiliated by



158 The Coup d'fitat.

the Eepublicans, and hailed with delight the expected
advent of a bold leader. At the end of November
the principal military authorities met at the house
of General Magnan, and unanimously resolved to
co-operate in any measures necessary to secure the
tranquillity of Paris, and establish a firm and reso-
lute government. The whole army being stationed
in the vicinity of the metropolis, was prepared for
some decisive movement ; and although its precise
nature was not understood, yet there was a de-
termination to obey any orders emanating from
the military authorities, whatever might be the
consequence.

Relying on the support that he was thus to re-
ceive, the Prince-President announced to some of
his faithful followers that the time had at length
arrived when it was necessary for the welfare of
the country, as well as for his own preservation,
that measures should be adopted to dismiss the
Assembly, and to give into his own hands the reins
of government. Upon every occasion Louis Napoleon
lias secured to himself many attached adherents
and friends, who have devotedly followed his for-
tunes on desperate occasions, and have not failed
him in adversity. Such fidelity and devotion, while
it reflects honour on them, also indicates rare quali-
ties in the Prince, who exercises so powerful an in-
fluence over his adherents. His winning, unaffected
manners, his calm self-possession, the deliberation
and coolness of his judgment, and his firm convic-
tion of his ultimate success, which have borne
Louis Napoleon through difficulties apparently in-
surmountable, have never failed to impress all who
have been admitted to his intimacy. He has also



M. de Morny. 159



obtained the well-merited reputation of never hav-
ing alienated or forgotten a friend.

M. de Morny. — The friend who stood forward
on this occasion, and in whom the President felt
that he could place the utmost reliance, was M. de
Morny, a man of firm determination and keen in-
tellect, who was well acquainted with the state of
political feeling in France, and was friendly with
some of the most distinguished men of the day.
He entered into the plan proposed with a full con-
viction that he was acting the part of a good citizen,
and an attached friend, and zealously devoted him-
self to the cause of the Prince ; indeed, much of its
success must be attributed to his admirable arrange-
ments. Throughout he exhibited that calm but
energetic and indomitable spirit essential on great
occasions. He was at the Opera Comique on the
very night when the storm was to burst forth ; but
nothing in his manner or appearance betrayed that
his mind was absent from the dramatic scene.

The following anecdote is related of him, of the
truth of which there can be no doubt. Being; seated
beside a lady of high rank, she asked him if the
rumour in circulation was true, that it was intended
to sweep out the Legislative Assembly ; the prompt
reply of the future Minister of the Interior was, " I
trust that I shall be near the handle of the broom
that is to produce this effect." His tact, his temper,
and his moderation may be judged of by the tele-
graphic despatches which passed, during the tumult
of the day, between himself and the Minister of
Police. The celebrated Dr Veron occupied him-
self for some time in copying these messages as they



160 The Coup oVEiat.

were transmitted ; and the experienced editor of the
Constitutionnel has enabled the public to judge how
rapidly M. de Morny entered into the ideas of the
Minister of Police, and how cautiously yet vigor-
ously he answered the somewhat hurried and impru-
dent communications that he received.

Major (now General) Fleury, a most gallant officer
who had greatly distinguished himself in Africa, was
another individual upon whose remarkable abilities
the Prince had the strongest reliance ; to these per-
sonal friends were added M. de Maupas, who had,
in the exercise of his high authority as Prefet at
Bordeaux, shewn qualifications which entitled
him to be intrusted with the important office of
Minister of Police. Two distinguished men of high
rank in the army represented the military element ;
General (afterwards Marshal) St Arnaud accepted
the onerous position of Minister of War, and
General (now Marshal) Magnan was appointed to
the command of the army at Paris.

The Night of December 1. — On the evening of
the 1st of December, a gay and fashionable assembly
congregated at the palace of the Elysee ; all was
gaiety and animation as usual; it was a fete of social
life, into which care never seemed to enter : to-mor-
row seemed never dreamt of. The Prince joined the
lively throng ; no trace of care was upon his brow :
he was apparently bent only on making happy the
friends by whom he was surrounded ; and, with his
usual affability and kindness, he spoke to several of
those who were for the first time present, giving to
all a hearty welcome. At eleven o'clock the party
broke up, and the visitors departed.



The Night of December 1. 161



Then the Prince, with his faithful friend and
secretary M. Mocquard, the Comte de Morny, M. de
Maupas, and General St Arnaud, entered the private
cabinet of the President, to arrange definitively the
course of proceeding on the morrow. It was at
this meeting that the final orders were issued to
the various functionaries by whom the plan of opera-
tions were to be carried into effect. Everything
had been well and maturely considered ; even the
minor details had been decided upon. To obtain
possession of the Government press — to arrest some
of those whose violent opposition was most to be
dreaded — to prevent the meeting of the Legislative
body — to distribute the different regiments in com-
manding position — to name a new ministry, — these
were objects of vital importance, the failure of any
one of which might endanger the success of the
whole movement ; and each of the members of this
cabinet council had important duties to perform,
which if neglected would produce irremediable con-
fusion. Not one of these determined men failed in
his purpose, and all acted in concert ; each one felt
that upon his own efficiency rested the lives and
fortunes of his associates, and the complete success
of the coup.

The first step taken by Louis Napoleon was to
sign the dismissal of the existing ministry, the ap-
pointment of the new ministers to their respective
offices, and to prepare those energetic proclamations
which on the following morning were read with
eager eyes by the astonished Parisians. An active
and intelligent officer, Colonel Beville, had been
selected to carry to the printing office the decrees
that w T ere to be disseminated ; these consisted of

L



162 The Coup d'Mat.



appeals to the people, orders to the army, and the
proclamation of the Prefet of Police. He took
them to the national printing office, where he found
that a hundred of the Garde Municipale had,
with prudent foresight, been installed, with orders
to obey his commands. The director, of course,
complied with the injunctions of the Prefet of
Police, and the printers were kept at work during
the night under strict surveillance ; and in the
morning Paris was placarded with the President's
decrees.

As soon as M. de Beville had left the room, M.
de Morny, M. Maupas, and General St Arnaud re-
paired to their several posts, prepared to act simul-
taneously, and with the energy and boldness essen-
tial to secure success. The account given by Mr
Kinglake of what occurred on the eve of the coup
d'etat is so far from being correct, that instead of
manifesting the perturbation, nervousness, and ap-
parent anxiety of mind so graphically described, the
Prince quietly retired to rest, and simply gave
orders that he should be awakened at five in the
morning. He betrayed not the slightest emotion,
and nothing transpired that could give the house-
hold the most remote intimation of what was about
to occur : indeed, it is a well-known fact, that the
domestics were as much surprised the following
morning at learning that a revolution had taken
place in Paris, as any other inhabitants of the city,
for some of them actually sallied out to inquire of
the servants of the English Embassy whether there
was any truth in the reports that had reached them
from without.



The Arrests, 163



The Arrests. — The Minister of Police, M. de
Maupas, instantly summoned all the commissioners
of the different arrondissements into his cabinet,
and signed orders for the arrest of the leading
members of the Legislative Assembly, which were
to be carried into effect before the break of day.
Strange to say, there was not a word of inquiry,
not a sign of hesitation. These functionaries recog-
nised at once the authority under which they were
called upon to act, and performed their duties with
marvellous promptitude and with unfailing effi-
ciency. The prisons of Paris received the men who
the day before were the legislators and governors of
France. Nor did the jailers hesitate (as was the
case when Robespierre was overthrown) to' open their
gates for the reception of their late masters.

An anecdote is related, that General Changarnier
was very nearly being made acquainted with the im-
pending events. A young officer whose regiment
was stationed at Courbevoie, had come up to Paris
to pass the night; he was awoke by his servant, who
told him that his presence was required immediately,
as his regiment had been suddenly called out. The
officer, surprised at this intelligence, and thinking
that he ought to acquaint General Changarnier with
this unusual order, went to the General's hotel ; but
finding that the porter was slow in opening the
doors, he abandoned his intention and went to his
quarters ; whence he was obliged to accompany his
regiment on the following day to overthrow the
authority of General Changarnier and hjs friends.
No delicacy was shewn in the manner of arresting
the most distinguished men of the 'day ; and the



164 The Coup d'JEtat,

volume of M. Granier de Cassagnac, narrating what
occurred in each case, has not met with general
approbation : a little more consideration for men
woke up in the dead of the night to be thrown
into prison, would have better become that injudi-
cious writer.

M. de Moray, after playing at whist at the Jockey
Club with Colonel Feray and Count Daru, went to>
the hotel of the Minister of the Interior at five in
the morning, and found the actual possessor of the
office enjoying a peaceful slumber, from which he
was speedily awakened to find himself superseded.
The Chamber of Deputies was dissolved ; some of
the members in A r ain attempted to assemble and
form a house, but they were removed and im-
prisoned for the day in the barracks on the Quai
d'Orsay, whilst others were distributed amongst
the neighbouring forts. Cromwell, when he drove
the members out of the House of Commons, and
the first Napoleon, when he boldly turned the re-
presentatives of the people out of their chamber at
St Cloud, could not have acted with more energy
and decision than was shewn on this occasion ; and
apparently under the sanction of the law, for the
ministers had their instructions direct from the
President of the Eepublic, who, as the executive
power, was invested with the authority of arrest
and imprisonment. All the different employes of
Government, therefore, whether civil or military,
carried out the commands they received without a
moment's hesitation, coming as they did from the
quarter which they were accustomed to regard as
being responsible for what they did. In short,
everything worked well, and the Government was



Paris on December 2. 165

soon in the hands of those who had so adroitly-
planned and so boldly carried out the coup d'etat.

It now remained to keep the people tranquil, and
to preserve the public peace from those daring Ke-
publicans, who would be certain to take advantage
of any movement that might afford them an oppor-
tunity of seizing power, and to whom any amount
,of bloodshed would be considered of little conse-
quence, so that their ends could be obtained.

Paris on December 2. — Upon the 2d of
December, totally unsuspicious of what was going
forward, I left my house, and was somewhat sur-
prised to witness great agitation amongst the people
in the streets, who, for the most part, seemed
anxious to return to their homes. I saw various
groups reading placards of a large size upon the
walls of every street, that had evidently been posted
up by order of Government, as they were printed
on white paper; for since the revolution of 1848,
all private announcements have, by order of the
police, been printed upon coloured paper. Knowing
that at the mayoralty of my arrondissement every
authentic document would appear on the facade, I
hastened thither ; besides, I was anxious to know
what was said by the street politicians, who are in
the habit of daily visiting the public office, outside
which the Moniteur is daily affixed.

I found two proclamations attracting the eager
attention of the readers : one was a plebiscite, coun-
tersigned De Morny, decreeing that votes should
be taken at the different mayoralties for or against
the maintenance of the power of Louis Napoleon ;
the other emanated from the Prefet du Police, de-



166 Paris on December 2.

manding the maintenance of order, and recommend-
ing people to remain at home. Little was said by
the readers ; but in the group I espied a well-known
Figaro of the neighbourhood, who whilst shaving his
customers usually launched out into politics. He
was a stanch Bonapartist, for his father, a soldier, had
been raised to the rank of sergeant in consequence
of a brave but ineffectual attempt to rescue Prince
Poniatowski from a watery grave at the battle of
Leipsic. I determined to submit my chin to the
operation of this worthy during the afternoon, feel-
ing sure that I should hear information from him as
to what was the general opinion of his customers.
In the meantime I strolled into the Faubourg St
Honore, where a squadron of the 12th Eegiment of
Dragoons was stationed before the British Embassy,
another being drawn up in front of the palace of
the Elysee, whilst there was a third doing duty at
the garden gate. A few individuals stood gazing on
the unusual military display ; but not a word was
uttered, and they soon passed on. Now and then a
carriage drove up to the gate, and after a scrutiny
from the porter, was admitted or rolled away- So
far as I could learn, no demonstration of any kind
was made that day at the fashionable end of the town ;
but it was said that the Eepublicans were to have, at
ten o'clock at night, meetings to take into considera-
tion the incidents of the day; and that in the Fau-
bourg St Antoine, the Barriere du Trone, and the Fau-
bourg du Temple, cries had been heard of "Vive la
Republique sociale ! " and " A bas le Pretendant ! "

After reconnoitring the principal streets, and seeing
nothing remarkable, beyond the anxiety and curiosity
written upon the faces of most persons, and witness-



Paris on December 2. 167



ing, what is not unusual in the streets of Paris, the
marching by of several regiments evidently in high
glee, I adjourned to the barber's, and seated myself
in his chair. He was in a state of great excitement,
and expatiating on the many virtues of Prince
Louis Napoleon, with which he had become ac-
quainted from having on two occasions dressed the
hair of the chambermaid whose duty it was to lay
the fire over-night in the cabinet of the President,
which he himself generally lighted at an early hour
in the morning. The excellent soubrette could
never speak in sufficiently high terms of the gentle-
ness and amiable temper of her master, and the
worthy barber had caught the infection. Deriving
his information from her as to the Prince's domes-
tic virtues, and inheriting his father's admiration of
the great Napoleon, he launched out in no measured
terms against all those who opposed the re-election
of the President, though his animosity to the Eepub-
licans was somewhat restrained by the presence of
two doubtful-looking statesmen in blouses, who
now and then interrupted him, by expressing their
faith in General Changarnier. My eloquent friend,
however, soon resumed his discourse, anathematising
M. Thiers as having obliged King Louis Philippe to
resign, that he himself might become Prime Minister
to the Duchess of Orleans, and hurling strong lan-
guage against M. Emile Girardin, for abetting
Prince Napoleon, the cousin of Prince Louis, in his
views of succeeding to the Presidentship : he had
heard some cries in the street of " Vive l'Empereur ! "
from the military, and they had delighted him.
Some of the surrounding persons, waiting to have
their beards trimmed, differed from the knight of



168 Louis Napoleon at the Elysee.

the brush ; doubts were expressed of the taleut of the
Prince-President, and there was evidently a Kepub-
lican tendency springing up ; but the announcement
that the Prince, attended by a numerous staff, was
passing by, put a stop to the conversation ; away
every one rushed out to see the passing show, and
upon their return there was a universal opinion ex-
pressed, that the Prince-President looked like a noble
soldier, and " every inch a king : " his gallant bear-
ing had evidently produced a strong impression upon
the spectators, the majority of whom from that
moment were evidently in favour of the changes
that had taken place.

Louis Napoleon at the Elysee. — It has been
asserted that the Prince-President remained in his
cabinet, during these eventful days, solitary and
gloomy, and, like the Eoman emperor at Capreae,
solely occupied in issuing his edicts for the destruc-
tion of his opponents. This story originally ema-
nated from an author more distinguished for the
brilliancy of his imagination than for the soberness
of his judgment, or the accuracy of his knowledge ;
and who was conspicuous for his political malevo-
lence, and the virulence of his speeches in the Legis-
lative Assembly. He has been followed by some
who, whilst they claim to write history, have no
hesitation in copying the errors and exaggerations
of others ; but it can safely be asserted that, so far
from Prince Louis Napoleon being left to himself,
the Princesse Mathilde remained with him the greater
part of the day ; King Jerome and most of the new
ministers were admitted, and the Elysee was not
closed to any visitors who had a right to present



Louis Napoleon at the Ely see. 169



themselves to the President. Those who were re-
ceived, found him calm, collected, and urbane as
usual ; and as notes and messages were placed in
his hands, he received them with coolness, and
quietly read their contents ; but never, by his coun-
tenance, his gestures, or his words, could the effect
or import of these communications be inferred.
He addressed all with his customary affability and
kindness, and conversed freely upon various topics.
The Emperor, it is true, does not possess that volu-
bility for which Frenchmen are remarkable ; he thinks
and weighs his words before he speaks, and what he
says is concise and to the point : his manner is quiet
and reticent, like that of a grave and thoughtful
man ; but this quietude is amply made up for by
the flattering attention which he gives to the words
of all with whom he speaks : nothing escapes him ;
he listens intelligently to all that is said, and his
replies and observations evince a wish not to express
his own opinion, but to learn that of others ; and
he never fails to appreciate at their due the value
of the views and opinions brought before him.
Upon these eventful days the Prince maintained
his usual equanimity, and was not more grave and
silent than usual ; he never for an instant flinched
from possible danger ; he was always prepared to
meet it ; indeed, the man who had so boldly ad-
vanced into his enemy's country at Strasbourg and
at Boulogne, was not "likely to be daunted or quailed
when so much was already accomplished ; and his
followers had seen enough of his conduct in such
emergencies, to be satisfied of his presence of mind
and personal courage.

M. de Persigny, whose attachment to the Em-



1 70 Louis Napoleon at the Elysee.

peror is such that he would at any moment lay down
his life for him and for his dynasty, was constantly
at the Elysee ; for to him had been intrusted the
task of effecting an honourable retreat, in case of an
adverse turn of circumstances. His duty it would
have been, had the day gone against the President,
to have collected the household, and to have con-
ducted the Prince, with all the troops that were
faithful, to the palace of the Tuileries, where the
active leaders were determined to make a last stand,
and succeed, or perish with arms in their hands.
This was the only alternative proposed ; no prepa-
rations had been made for flight ; no horses and
carriages kept ready, no money had been sent to
foreign countries, and nothing had been packed up
to be carried off at a moment's notice. There was
a firm resolve that death or victory was to be the
result of this great enterprise.

In the course of the first day, I paid a visit
to an old comrade, that distinguished officer Sir
de Lacy Evans, who had just come to Paris,
and was residing in the Place de la Madeleine ;
the conversation naturally turned on the events
passing before our eyes, and the General ex-
pressed much satisfaction at the apparent promp-
titude with which the affair had been carried out ;
for we believed that public tranquillity had not
been disturbed. He observed that the enemies of
the Prince-President had brought the whole thing
upon themselves, by their shameful treatment of
the chief of the state ; adding, that he felt per-
suaded that if Louis Napoleon would give the
people a liberal constitution, which should include



Reception of the Prince-President. 171

the freedom of the press, he would prove himself a
greater man than his uncle.

I had been told that a column of the National
Guard had marched with the infantry, but I found
that this was not the case ; in fact the utmost care
had been taken not to call out the National Guard,
for it was well known that in some of the regiments
there were Eepublicans, who might be induced to
leave their brethren and join the insurgents, if they
were disposed to raise barricades. The consequence
was that everything depended upon the regulartroops.

Eeception of the Prince-President. — When
the Prince, attended by a numerous staff, accom-
panied by the ex-King Jerome and by Count Flahault,
rode through the streets, he exhibited that bravery
which has never deserted him in the hour of danger ;
notwithstanding the calumnies of his traducers, who
choose to assert that he is deficient in personal
courage and nerve. He was remarkably well re-
ceived by the army, and shouts of " Vive le Prince!"
were heard from every regiment, as he cantered
along the Champs Elysees. The people of Paris
are never demonstrative in their reception of their
monarchs ; even the ordinary token of respect to
royalty, the lifting of the hat, is rare, and on this
occasion there was no observable departure from
the usual habit. The Prince-President returned at
an early hour to the Elysee, where M. de Persigny
received him with the intelligence that all the steps
hitherto taken were successful, and that the military
were fully prepared to fulfil the orders of _ their
superiors ; indeed, so obedient were the sentries to



172 Alarm of the Parisians.

the commands which had been given, that when the
President, preparing to leave the garden of the palace,
presented himself at the gate, the advanced guard
of the 12th Regiment, then on duty, would not
allow him to pass without giving the countersign.
The orderly officers and the aides-de-camp gave
proofs of their courage, zeal, and devotion. At
one moment false reports were rife, that some of
the regiments exhibited an unwillingness to act ;
General Eollin was summoned to express his
opinion, and explain the state of affairs ; he found
the Prince firm and resolved, and prepared to take
upon himself any personal responsibility for any
steps that might be necessary. In short, every one
who approached the Prince — and these were many
— were struck with admiration at his dignified
equanimity and self-possession.

Alarm of the Parisians. — The news of the im-
prisonment of so many persons of great political im-
portance, spread like wildfire throughout the whole
of Paris, whilst the suddenness and the boldness of
their arrest astonished and struck terror into the
minds of many. Much sympathy was felt for them
individually; and the horrors of the great French
Revolution, the massacres in the prisons, the slaughter
of priests, the banishment to Cayenne, rose up before
the affrighted imaginations of the friends and rela-
tions of those who had been imprisoned. In the
cafes a profound silence was observed ; all commu-
nication from man to man seemed suddenly to have
ceased ; and anxiety was deducted on every coun-
tenance. The salons of the gay world were neces-
sarily closed, as few dared to venture forth in the



Alarm of the Parisians. 173



evening, no one knowing the extent of the danger
that mio;ht be incurred. Were there to be Roman
proscriptions % Was the guillotine to be erected once
again on the Place de la Concorde % Lists of the
prisoners (which of course abounded with errors)
were eagerly circulated, and surmises were made as
to their probable fate. It must be acknowledged
that these alarms were natural, for the real dispo-
sition of the Prince was not known, otherwise there
would have been less uneasiness, as was evinced by
the fact that the gentlest treatment had been re-
commended, and that not a single individual arrested
received the slightest insult or injury. Indeed, as
soon as quietness was re-established, and the influence
of the members of the Assembly could no longer be
of consequence, every one was liberated; and not a
person was in any way interfered with who was
willing to submit to the new state of things. Some
who menaced the newly-established government,
were necessarily exiled for a short period, to prevent
their entering upon schemes which could be only
injurious to society and themselves. But as soon
as possible a complete amnesty was offered ; and
those who announced their intention to remain quiet
were at once allowed to return to their homes. Those
who were taken with arms in their hands, and had
proclaimed the Republic, were handed over for trial
to the established tribunals, and only those were
removed from the country whose character as dis-
turbers of society had been previously acknowledged.
In the conduct of the new government throughout,
there was nothing that could justify the attacks that
had been made, and the assertion that cruelties were
inflicted upon innocent and harmless persons. In



1 74 The Legislative Assembly.

all great emergencies there are circumstances which,
in the more peaceful states of society, would be
highly reprehensible ; the moment called for the
establishment of a Dictator : " Nequid respublica
detrimenti caperet." Democracy, Socialism, Eed-
Kepublicanism were to be combated, and success
attended the grand attempt. Property and intelli-
gence have been rendered secure; the boldness and
energy of one man have crushed dangers to society
which were seen to be fast approaching, and which,
if not arrested, would have produced anarchy and
confusion, and destroyed the peace and prosperity
of the nation. The measures that the Prince-Presi-
dent was compelled to take, naturally excited the
wrath of the very men who would have overthrown
him ; and every means were resorted to, by a small
knot of aggrieved persons, to excite the indignation
of the people at the recital of the misfortunes that
fell upon those who exposed themselves to peril on
an eventful day. Much was necessarily done in
the defence of order which those who live where
tranquillity has been for centuries established can-
not fully comprehend; and the sympathy that is
felt for the weak and suffering, has been called into
activity by some who are incapable of judging
fairly of the circumstances.

The Legislative Assembly. — But whatever sym-
pathy may have been felt for individuals, none
whatever was expressed or shewn for the body to
which they belonged. The abrupt dismissal of the
Legislative Assembly was not regretted by any one ;
on the contrary, it was considered as a benefit to the
country. The Assembly had never gained or deserved



The Legislative Assembly. 1 75



the confidence of the people, and not one of its acts
could be cited that was worthy of a great nation.
Even the Provisional Government, during its short
and feverish existence, had shewn some proofs of its
desire to benefit society; it had abrogated the laws
that punished political offences with death; ithad ame-
liorated the hardships of the debtor; carried out some
excellent improvements in the direction of railways,
and had boldly met the financial exigencies by addi-
tional taxation, whilst it had removed the vexatious
octroi. But the Legislative Assembly seemed to
take a delight in repealing every statute that had
given satisfaction to the nation ; its aim appeared
to be to return to the legislation of MM. Mole,
Guizot, and Thiers; and it was remarkable for its in-
gratitude to any man who had done the state service.
M. Lamartine, to whom Paris was so much indebted,
whose eloquence had controlled the fierce democracy
when the mob would have supplanted the tricolor
by the red flag at the Hotel de Ville, could scarcely
command attention; nothing that he said was lis-
tened to. Cabals against General Cavaignac, the man
to whom they were indebted for their existence,
prevented his influence having due weight, and he
was forsaken as soon as he ceased to be useful.
Their presidents were utterly disregarded ; the high-
minded and finished gentleman, Armand Marrast,
could not control the debates ; M. Dupin was only
regarded by them as a clever jester, whose caustic
wit and epigrammatic reproofs served to amuse;
his judicious admonitions and calls to order were
unheeded, and the Assembly was too often the scene
of virulent dispute and indecent violence. The
tumult and clamour attending the appearance of



176 The Legislative Assembly.



any unpopular member in the tribune were dis-
graceful. When Victor Hugo attempted to speak,
bursts of laughter followed some striking remarks
which were not in accordance with the sentiments
of the Assembly ; the taunts and marks of ridicule
lashed the speaker into a fury, and the more vehe-
ment his speech and gestures, the more his auditors
derided him. There were many men of great
ability in the Assembly who were esteemed by the
country at large, but general opinion was not in fa-
vour of the body, and its disorganisation was regarded
with much the same indifference as was the break-
ing up of the Eump Parliament by Oliver Crom-
well; the announcement of its dissolution, therefore,
was favourably received. There had been so many
changes in the ministry, that people hardly knew
who filled the respective offices ; Leon Faucher was
almost the only one who enjoyed public confidence,
and even he was regarded by a large party with
suspicion, for they beheld in him only a warming-
pan for the advent to office of M. Thiers, who was
supposed to be ready to take advantage of any
change, and offer himself as candidate for the Presi-
dency of the Kepublic. Eumours widely circulated
that a coup d'etat was preparing on the part of the
Assembly, and many of its acts seemed to support
this idea such as the attempt to place under the au-
thority of the Assembly a large military guard, and
the defiant and menacing language of General Chan-
garnier, then in command of the army The appre-
hensions of the people w T ere constantly aroused, and
conflicts were daily expected ; foreign statesmen
looked with anxiety at what was passing, and the
alarm upon the Continent was increased by the ex-



The 3d and Ath of December. 177

pedition to Eome ; for, however much such a check
upon the policy of Austria might be necessary,
French interference with the Republican party in
Italy was looked upon with suspicion. In fact, the
National Assembly had lost the respect and con-
fidence of the nation, and no one was anxious to see
it reassemble. The protests and appeals to the
people, made by some few members on the morning
of the 2d of December, were received with apathy,
and elicited no exhibition of feeling in their behalf ;
for, when at the Mairie arrests took place, no rescue
was dreamt of ; the spectators gazed on quietly, and
were perfectly indifferent to the consequences.

The 3d and 4th oe December. — Slight bar-
ricades were formed in some of the streets, but the
people took little interest in these manifestations on
the first day ; on the 3d of December, however, greater
resistance was offered. But evidently M. de Maupas
received exaggerated reports from his employes,
which he somewhat hastily communicated to the
Minister of the Interior; and these, unfortunately,
led to the decisive and energetic course taken on
the melancholy 4th of December. M. de Maupas,
unaccustomed to the amplifications of police agents,
was alarmed by false reports; he actually commu-
nicated a telegram announcing that the Prince de
Joinville had disembarked at Cherbourg, and that
other Princes of the house of Orleans had arrived
at different parts of France. He also believed that
the same opponents were in the field as those who
had fought against Cavaignac, and that they were
fighting at the barricades with determination; that
Ledru Eollin, and a whole army of Red Republicans,

M



178 The 3d and tth of December .



had reached Paris from Eouen ; in short, upon read-
ing carefully the telegraphic despatches, the only-
conclusion that can be arrived at is, that the fears
of M. de Maupas, and not the orders issued from
the Elysee, were the principal cause of the fatal 4th
ef December.

On Thursday, at a quarter past one, M. de Maupas,
as Prefet of Police, transmitted a telegram to the
Minister of the Interior, in which appears these words :
— "Voila le moment de frapper un coup decisif. II
faut le bruit et l'effet du canon, et il les faut tout de
suite." The Minister of the Interior at this very time,
when it has been asserted that the most sanguinary
orders were issued, was exerting himself to see that
the execution of all commands should be performed
as inoffensively as possible : — "N'arretons pas legere-
ment." " Get ordre sera execute avec beaucoup de
politesse." " Faites fermer avec douceur la reunion."
" Je ne veux pas que vos agents arretent l£*gerement."
Such words, combined with other proofs, shew that
there was no intention on the part of the adherents
of the Prince to act with brutal force. The poor
Prefet of Police seems, indeed, to have lost his head.
Among other of his despatches I find the following : —
"It is said that the 2d Dragoons (the very regiment
that was guarding the Elysee) has arrived from St
Germain, and that the Comte de Chambord is in its
ranks as a private. I scarcely believe it." The only
answer by M. de Morny was, " And I do not believe
it." Even at the end of the fatal day, when every-
body was regretting what had occurred, the frightened
Minister of Police begs that the troops should guard
him, that they should not be allowed to enter their
barracks ; and at half-past five on that 4th of



The 3d and Ath of December. 179

December he announces new barricades, and states
that fresh insurgents are coming up by the railroad.
It is impossible to read the bulletins which passed
on this occasion without arriving at the conclusion
that M. de Morny, in obedience to the wishes of
the Prince-President, acted with forbearance and
lenity ; that, had he listened to the fears of the
Minister of Police, the occurrences would have been
of a much more fearful character. Even when this
zealous chief of an active department pointed out to
M. de Morny where Victor Hugo was concealed,
and wished to make an examination of the house,
the answer was, " Nefaites rien."

That the 4th of December was a melancholy day
for France, and will long remain remembered by
Europe, is not to be denied; but it is neither just
nor honest to attribute the lamentable events which
then occurred to cold-heartedness on the part of Louis
Napoleon. No man ever more deeply deplored them ;
and where the opportunity offered, he gave what
indemnity he could to the families of those who had
suffered. There are young persons who lost their
parents on that day who have been educated at his
expense, the cost being defrayed out of his private
purse ; and I know myself one instance in which the
children have had a regular quarterly stipend paid
to them, from their infancy, and which is continued,
without interruption or diminution, to this day.

The first impression made upon the minds of
people in England as to what occurred on the 4th
of December, was the result of a letter which ap-
peared in the Times, from an officer of the British
army, who, from a window on the Boulevard
Montmartre, was a personal witness of the scene



180 The Coup d'Etat.

that took place in the street beneath him, where
many persons fell victims to the fire of the soldiery.
The infantry, quartered in sub-divisions, suddenly
fired, not only upon the men, women, and children
in the footpath, but at the windows above them, and
with sad results : volley succeeded to volley, and
it was evident that a panic had taken possession of
the soldiery Their officers had given no commands ;
for, as Captain Jesse observes, they were quietly
smoking their cigars when the firing began.

From the reports of the agents of the Minister of
Police in the quarter of St Denis, firing from the win-
dows took place at the commencement of the mili-
tary impulse. "Des maisons sont dejd occupees par
I'emeute; on a tire desfenetres," were the words trans-
mitted from the office of the Minister of Police. It
was this alarm that produced the fatal conc-equences.
The windows of the houses had on former occasions
been filled by insurgents who fired upon the troops,
when the soldiers suffered so severely as to be under
the necessity of watching for concealed foes, and
had been obliged to rush into a house with the
hope of dragging forth their enemies. In ]848, in
the Rue Castiglione, two soldiers were killed by
shots from the third story of a house, whilst a lady
was quietly standing on the balcony above. The
soldiery, too, remember that, in the days of Louis
Philippe, from a window of a house upon one of the
Boulevards, not very far from the spot where Cap-
tain Jesse was standing, a deadly volley was dis-
charged, by which many military were killed ;
amongst them Marshal Mortier, as brave a soldier as
ever drew a sword for his country. It is not to be
denied that considerable irritation existed amongst



What the Author Saw. 131



the military, from the recollection of what had oc-
curred during the Ee volution in 1848, when they
were most shamefully treated ; — they recollected
the carnage and the burning alive of the brave men
in the guard-house before the Palais-Eoyal ; they
bore in mind the treachery which some of their
comrades experienced in the Champs Elyse*es ; and
there existed amongst them a strong feeling against
the Parisians generally. The firing of the soldiers
at the house of M. Sallandrouze, near which was
Captain Jesse's apartment, was occasioned by some
persons standing on the steps cheering at what thej-
supposed was the employment of blank cartridge by
the troops.

What the Author Saw. — I happened on that
day to pay a visit, in company with my friend Mr
Paget of the British Embassy, to my banker in the
Eue Basse du Eampart : Mr Charles Lafitte then
gave us to understand that orders had been given to
the military to act with great moderation ; but if
there existed the slightest disposition to riot, they
were to " take the bull by the horns," and to destroy
all barricades with cannon. During our short inter-
view the bugles were heard close at hand, the win-
dows were opened, and we took up a position on
the balcony, whence we saw marching, in good mili-
tary order and at double quick time, the Chasseurs
of Vincennes. M. Lafitte, without anticipating
what was about to occur, good-naturedly said, " If
you wish to see the fun, you had better follow the
troops ; for I am confident, from the information I
have this moment received, that they are bent on
mischief"



1 82 The Coup d'JEtat.

Mr Paget and I then bent our steps towards
the Eue Richelieu, where the rattling of musketry-
was distinctly" heard. My friend left for the
British Embassy, saying, that as a diplomatist,
his place was in the Faubourg St Honore and
not upon the Boulevards. Immediately afterwards
a brigade of Lancers, commanded by Colonels
Feray and Bochefort, arrived opposite the spot
where I had placed myself, at the angle of the Rue
Grange Bateliere and the Boulevards. A con-
siderable crowd had there collected ; and such was
their hostile attitude, and so loud their vociferations,
that I was convinced the Lancers would not long
remain inactive, especially if the slightest insult
was offered them. From amongst these persons
thus coHected came a pistol ball with a loud detona-
tion, and a soldier was wounded. Col. Rochefort im-
mediately charged at the head of his regiment ; the
consequence was that several of the crowd were
severely wounded, and a bad feeling sprang up
amongst the soldiery. I thought it prudent to quit
this scene and return to my home, which I reached
with considerable difficulty.

Certainly, all that occurred was of a nature to
excite uneasiness and alarm ; but " that it was seen
with frenzied horror by thousands of French men
and women " is an absurd exaggeration. The upper
classes of Paris were no doubt exceedingly angry and
irritated, because during every emeute in the metro-
polis, the Boulevards on the Madeleine side of the
Rue Richelieu always continued to be the resort of
the flaneur, and had escaped the slaughter conse-
quent on the erection of barricades ; and they went
there attracted by " the pomp and circumstance



Groundless Fabrications. 183

of war," and thought themselves safe ; for they
looked upon the soldiers as their national defenders
against insurgents, and they were maddened at the
idea of the slaughter of unarmed saunterers, who had
gone out as it were under the shield of the military,
to see what was going forward.

Groundless Fabrications. — The occurrences of
that day undoubtedly struck a terror into the hearts
of the people of Paris which will never be obliter-
ated, and they certainly have tended to affect the
popularity of the Emperor Napoleon in the capital ;
more especially as his political adversaries have
never failed to throw upon him the responsibility
of events over which he had no control. So dis-
honest have been some of the writers who have
furnished the public with their tales, that it has
been stated that in the gardens of the Tuileries
and the Luxembourg, military executions of
prisoners took place in the dead of night ! The
overthrow of a pile of the chairs, which in win-
ter are generally to be seen in the garden of the
Tuileries, and the consequent alarm given by the
sentry, was even magnified into an attack upon the
palace and the consequent carnage of the assail-
ants. As for the statement that platoons of soldiers
performed the office of executioners in the night, it is
a pure invention ; and the rumour alleged to have
been credited in Paris, that during the night of the
4th and 5th of December prisoners were shot in
batches and thrown into pits, is an equally groundless
fabrication. I never heard that such a falsehood
was propagated, until I read this shameful insinua-
tion in a volume which claims to be a contribution



184 The Coup d'JEtat.

to history. As for the " nine kinds of slaughter "
which the eccentric writer discovers that military
men may unhesitatingly indulge in, I do not think
that any of these have relation to the melancholy
events of the 4th of December.

Those events are deeply to be deplored ; but
they arose out of accidental circumstances. No one
has ever attempted to defend them ; and they ought
not to be exaggerated, either for the purpose of ex-
citing the sympathy of nations, or for the sake of
blackening political enemies. There was no wanton
massacre of the people, as has been asserted ; there
were sad mistakes, and people ran into danger not-
Avithstanding the warnings that were distributed
everywhere — for placards were upon the walls in
every direction, entreating every one to stay at home.
There were insurgents, there were barricades, there
was firing upon the soldiers ; there was therefore a
necessity for martial law to be enforced ; but the
Emperor is not chargeable either with the wild
excesses of the soldiery, or the credulity of the
Minister of Police.

The Parisians, even at the height of their excite-
ment, did not hold the Prince-President responsible
for these deplorable consequences ; neither had he
the least apprehension of being the object of vindic-
tive feelings. So far from entertaining any personal
fear, his calm self-possession was never more con-
spicuous than during these eventful clays. I will
only mention one corroborative circumstance in
proof of this.

On the fourth night after the coup d'etat, my
daughter and myself were present at a ball, given
by the Duchess of Hamilton in honour of the Prince



Groundless Fabrications. 185

President, at the Hotel Bristol, Place Vendome. At
ten o'clock precisely, the President entered the ball-
room, accompanied only by Count Bacciochi, when a
quadrille was formed ; the Prince dancing with the
Duchess of Hamilton, Lady Poltimore and the Duke
of Hamilton being the vis-a-vis. The second quad-
rille soon followed ; when the Prince chose the Prin-
cess Mathilde as his partner, Lord Poltimore and
Lady Cowley making the vis-a-vis.

The Prince appeared perfectly cool and collected ;
he conversed with a great many persons, but more
particularly with Lord Cowley, who had only
arrived in Paris that morning, to fill his post of
British Ambassador. Lords Francis Gordon, Strang-
ford, Halliburton, Ernest Bruce, with their wives,
were present ; together with many foreigners of
distinction. The instant the clock struck twelve,
Count Bacciochi, in a low whisper, said that the
Prince's carriage was ready ; whereupon the Duke
of Hamilton, taking two wax-candles, conducted his
imperial guest down-stairs, and handed him into
his plain brougham. On the return of the Duke
to the ball-room, he observed to several friends
who had collected round him, "How extraordinary!
There were neither military nor police in the court-
yard of the hotel, to protect the President in case of
danger." In fact, the Prince returned at midnight,
without an escort, to the Elysee, in a one-horse
brougham.

And this is the man whom Mr Kinglake, in his
account of the coup d'etat, has insinuated to be
constantly occupied in guarding himself against
attacks from assassination, and living in fear and
trembling,



186 Camp Life during the Peninsular War,

Let those who have been influenced by these
calumnies, consider what have been the results of
the coup d'etat upon the position and prospects of
France. The nation enjoys greater prosperity and
happiness, and its power and influence are stronger
and more undisputed than ever in Europe ; while
the Emperor of the French holds a firm and lofty
place amongst the monarchs of the world, in right
of the wisdom with which he governs the people
and develops the resources of the country.

Camp Life during the Peninsular War. —
There was a wide difference in the camp life of the
English and French armies.

An English soldier in camp appeared to be the
most uncomfortable of mortals ; there was no plan
laid down for his recreation, or the employment of
his leisure hours, and you might see him either
brushing his clothes or cleaning his accoutrements,
or else sitting on his knapsack, smoking his pipe to
pass the time. We had no large tent wherein the
men could congregate to converse, read, or other-
wise amuse themselves, and when the weather was
wet, they huddled together in small tents, where the
atmosphere was worse than that of the Black Hole
of Calcutta. The pipeclay system of tormenting
our men, by requiring them to keep their kits clean,
and punishing them by extra drills if the firelock or
belts were not as spotless as on parade at the Horse
Guards, was (to say the least of it) extremely
injudicious.

The French soldiers, on the other hand, had
small tents, amply large enough for five or six men,
or. in default of these, they constructed tents with



Canvjj Life during the Peninsular War. 187

earth, trees, and rushes. Streets were formed, with
squares ; places of amusement were planned, and
large trenches were dug in every direction, to drain
the ground thoroughly. The officers, if near a town,
took possession of the best lodgings, for the con-
venience of coffee-houses and kitchens : but, al though
they had every luxury they could afford or procure,
their motto was, "A la guerre commie la guerre." On
entering a French camp you saw as much order as
in the best regulated towns. Gendarmes kept strict
watch over the soldiers, a fire-brigade was always
in readiness, and everything was arranged methodi-
cally. The dress of the French soldier was not
only loose and comfortable, but easily cleaned, and
his knapsack was remarkable for its convenience.
A cantiniere was attached to the camp, and supplied
the officers and men with wine and spirits according
to regulations.

The French soldier marched quicker than the
English, both in advance and retreat ; and after a
victory by our troops few prisoners were taken.
The Duke of Wellington, with all his wonderful fore-
sight and genius, could never get at the secret why
so few stragglers were met with in following the
enemy ; whereas at Burgos, after our raising the
siege of that town, indescribable confusion arose, and
nearly half the English army were either left behind
or taken prisoners by Soult and Clauzel.

The system of outposts in the French army was
on a different footing from ours. Before the enemy,
the French sentinel was relieved every hour ; where-
as our soldiers remained on duty two hours ! —
the extra hour caused great fatigue, and in cold
weather induced sleep. A troop of the 11th Light



188 Camp Life during the Peninsular War.

Dragoons on duty in front — that is, at the extreme
vedette, in the immediate presence of the enemy —
was once caught napping. The French officer in
command, observing the bad guard kept, ordered
forward a sergeant and five men, who entered our
lines and found Captain Wood and his men fast
asleep ; when the dragoons awoke, they were com-
pelled to surrender themselves prisoners of war.
Now, if the vedette had been changed every hour, this
disgraceful catastrophe would not have occurred.
Doubtless all these matters are better arranged
now : the Crimean war ought to have taught us
many valuable lessons, and our experience, so dearly
bought, should be made profitable for the future.
Were we to take a leaf out of the French book of
tactics, instead of following the German school in
all its pedantries, our armies would be better pre-
pared for active service than they now are.

I may here mention an incident which befell
Captain George Mansel, E.N., who related it to me.
He was deputed by the Duke of Wellington to ac-
company the French army, under Marshal Clauzel,
to the siege of Constantine. The expedition proved
a failure, owing to causes which it is superfluous to
mention ; the French army raised the siege, and
commenced a most disastrous retreat. It happened
that Mansel on one occasion slept in the tent occu-
pied by the commanding-officer of the Engineers,
who showed our countryman every possible atten-
tion. This French officer was rather loquacious,
and amons; other things he said that the defence of
Burgos had been intrusted to him by General
Clauzel when it was attacked by the army of Wel-
lington, and that the British army had been foiled



Camp Life during the Peninsular War. 189

on that occasion. Mansel, like a brave and gallant
Englishman, defended the honour of the British
arms, and at the same time begged to know the
causes that led to the disaster. The French officer
replied, " I have seen a great deal of English
soldiers, and better and finer troops do not exist ;
with the exception of your Engineers, whom 1 consi-
der the worst of any troops I have ever met with. It
was to them your defeat before Burgos was owing."

When Captain Mansel returned home, he was
invited by Lord Bute to pass some clays with
him, and to meet the Duke of Wellington. The
Duke naturally asked the gallant Captain several
questions respecting the retreat, and said, " Clanzel
is the best general, perhaps, that the French have ;
I never, during the period he commanded the
French army, caught him napping.''' Captain
Mansel then requested permission to relate what
had occurred in the tent of the commanding-officer
of Engineers. " By all means let us hear it," re-
plied the Duke. Captain M. then stated what the
French officer had said ; when his Grace observed,
"There is some truth in what the Frenchman
asserted ; but it was not entirely the fault of our
Engineers. We were almost .destitute of siege-
cannon at Burgos ; Ave had few tools, and many
things requisite for a siege were wanting. It is true
that the officer who commanded the artillery in the
rear was removed from his post, but Captain Dixon,
who succeeded him, proved a good officer : a stop-
page of communications necessitated our retreat."

The great Duke was in this, as in most cases,
correct. Had he acted on his own responsibility,
the siege of Burgos would never have been at-



190 A Foraging Party on the Adour.

tempted ; or would have been attempted with
proper tools, at a later period, and under more
favourable circumstances.

A Foeaging- Party on the Adoue. — Early in
the spring of 1814 I was ordered to proceed with
Lord James Hay on a foraging expedition. Our
party consisted of fifty men, armed with firelocks,
and mounted upon mules. It would be impossible
to give any adequate idea of our zigzag march and
our wanderings in the dark ; at last, after proceed-
ing in tolerably good order for about nine hours, we
came in sight of a village called Dax, consisting of
a few pretty houses, about a mile distant. At break
of day, wanting our accustomed breakfast, we deter-
mined to seek quarters there ; but gave directions
to the non-commissioned officers to prevent the
slightest disorder or pillage. My batman, Proycl,
who spoke nearly every European language, ad-
vanced into the market-place with a saucepan, which
he had brought with him from camp, and began
striking it with a thick stick with all his might.
The noise awoke the inhabitants, some of whom
approached our party, and, after much persuasion,
one of them was prevailed upon by Lord James to
show us the Mayor's house ; and presently this per-
sonage, " dressed in a little brief authority," made
his appearance. We told him that one object of our
coming was to procure provisions for ourselves, and
forage for our horses and mules, but that everything
supplied should be paid for. The Mayor regarded
us with suspicion, until Proyd entered with our
teacups and boiling water, and asked in good French
for some plates for " my lord." The title of " my



A Foraging Party on the Aclour. 1.01



lord " electrified the Mayor, and in less than a quar-
ter of an hour the whole of his family appeared, aiid
offered us and our men everything that we required.

With a heart full of thankfulness I sat down to
an excellent breakfast of cold meat, eggs, coffee, and
bread and butter ; and, to crown all, one of the
daughters of the Mayor, an extremely elegant young
lady, entered the room with some delicious comfi-
tures, of which she said her mother begged our
acceptance. The wife of the Mayor soon after joined
us, and, to our astonishment and delight, began con-
versing with us in English. She said that she had
been brought up in England, and that her mother
was English, but had left her native land for France
when she was about sixteen.

Having refreshed ourselves, and seen that the
horses and mules had been properly groomed and
baited, we gave orders to return, and our troop put
itself again in motion : the animals being laden with
straw, Indian corn, and forage of every description,
for which we paid the Mayor in Spanish dollars.
After we had marched some hours, finding that,
hampered as we were, we could not march well in
the dark, we determined to halt at the first village we
fell in with, and continue our march the next morn-
ing to Bayonne ; whence we were then about eight
leagues distant. We soon struck a little bourg
about two leagues from Dax, but could see no one
stirring in the place : in fact, it seemed deserted.
However, Proyd, ever alert, heard a dog bark in one
of the houses, a sign that the inhabitants were hid-
ing. We knocked first at one house and then at
another, until our patience began to be exhausted ;
when a sleepy-looking fellow popped his head out of



192 A Foraging Party on the Adour.



r» window and asked us in a most insolent manner
what we wanted. While we were parleying with
him, one of the sergeants, an active young fellow,
scrambled up to the window from whence this
Caliban was jeering at us, bolted down the stairs,
opened the front door, and admitted us into the
house. It turned out to ba the cabaret of the vil-
lage, and it was the landlord who had just greeted us
in this abusive manner. He w T as evidently an in-
veterate enemy of the British, for he would neither
give us any information as to how our men were
to be billeted, nor show us even common civility.
However, finding our host so contumacious, we
ordered him to be placed in durance vile, determin-
ing to carry him off to head-quarters as a prisoner.
The next morning a council of war was held to
devise a plan for transporting our prisoner. Proyd,
the Figaro of the party, suggested placing him upon
a mule ; but the question was, how to get him
mounted on the back of one at so early an hour in
the morning' without creating a disturbance in the
village. Ikiy, however, had no scruples on that
score, and gave instructions to have the prisoner
tied upon one of the animals. Proyd, approaching
the follow from behind, threw one of the regimental
bags over his head, and with the aid of his comrades
fastened him securely on a mule. When all was
arranged to our satisfaction, the man began to bel-
low, and his neighbour, finding we were in earnest,
came out and begged for mercy ; but to no purpose,
for we were determined to make an example of the
disobliging brute : so off we started with our prisoner.
We arrived in camp just in time to rerjort the
result of our expedition to the commanding-officer



General Sir Warren Peacocke. 193

who was much amused at our bringing, in addition
to an ample supply of forage, &c, an impertinent
fellow, with his head tied up in a bag. The next
morning, after a severe lecture, our prisoner received
his conge, and was desired to return home and tell
his friends that we differed entirely from other sol-
diers who had occupied the country, for we paid
ready money for everything we required and ex-
pected to be treated with civility by the inhabitants.
A few days afterwards, another foraging party was
organised, and on their arrival at the same village
every door was opened, and provisions, corn, hay, &c,
offered in abundance, while the greatest civility
was paid to our men. The proprietor of the inn was
foremost in proffering his services, and expressed his
regret for what had occurred before, stating that the
cause of it was that, in the dark, the inhabitants
mistaking us for a body of men belonging to the
Spanish army, had fled ; as a party of soldiers be-
longing to that nation had a short time before
robbed them of their pigs, poultry, and linen, and
ill-treated their wives and daughters. After this, our
soldiers, when on foraging expeditions, were ordered
to dress in uniform, to show the country-people that
they belonged to the British army.

General Sir Warren Peacocke, Governor of
Lisbon. — During the British occupation, the Go-
vernor of Lisbon was Sir Warren Peacocke, a soldier
who enjoyed the utmost confidence of the Duke of
Wellington. This officer was born in 1776, and
when at school was given a company in a regiment
his uncle had raised. He subsequently entered the
Coldstream Guards, and was at the time of his

N



194 General Sir warren Jr'eacoc fee.

death one of the oldest general officers in the Bri-
tish army. While at Lisbon, his duties were arduous
in the extreme. He had to reconcile the Portu-
guese Government and authorities to a military
occupation, which they always looked upon with
suspicion ; and he had to control and direct all
the transport service of the navy : but his most
onerous labours were in connexion with the many
questions arising with regard to the army. Lisbon,
at the period to which I refer, was a sort of hospital
for the army of the Peninsula, whilst it was at the
same time the basis of those glorious operations
the effect of which was to drive the French out of
Spain, and General Peacocke was referred to on all
occasions by the Portuguese and English.

No small part of his duties consisted in dealing
with the friends and relations of officers in our army,
a crowd of whom came over from England, each
with a special object in view. Some wanted a
prolongation of leave for a son or brother ; others
that their friends or relations might be permitted
to return to England on account of urgent domestic
affairs ; while with the rest the excuse was, that ill
health, owing to change of climate, ought to influ-
ence the Governor to permit some stalwart soldier
to visit his native land. To all these importuni-
ties Sir Warren was wont to reply, that " he could
not, on any account, permit domestic affairs to
interfere with the duties of the service." Whilst
tormented with these petty annoyances, he was
constantly engaged in the most important corre-
spondence with the British Government, the Duke
of Wellington, and the Portuguese officials. Many
of the services he rendered his country at that time



General Sir Warren Peacoche. 195



were such as cannot be transferred to the pages
of history, being of the most delicate and confi-
dential character. Throughout all, Sir Warren was
remarkable for his urbanity of manner, his untiring
business habits, and a keen judgment, which made
him alike an accomplished statesman and an in-
telligent soldier.

Some of the complaints made to the gallant
officer were frivolous in the extreme. On one
occasion an assistant-surgeon complained, in no
measured terms, of the quarters allotted to him,
stating that he was obliged to sleep in a pigsty ;
upon which Sir Warren inquired of oue of his
subalterns if he knew anything of the said pigsty
The answer was, that the quarters which the sur-
geon complained of were very good, in fact, better
than the majority of the officers occupied. " Oh,
then, sir," said Peacocke, turning to the injured
medico, " if you are a prince in disguise, declare
yourself ; but if you are only what your diploma
states you to be, I consider the quarters you have
quite good enough."

Lisbon, owing to the continental war then raging,
was the only port open to the English, and thither
our countrymen and women flocked , in fact, Lis-
bon was then what Paris and Eome are now, and
some of our most celebrated men show there to
advantage. It was there that the immortal poet
Byron first touched foreign soil, and where some of
his daring, powerful poetry was written ; he became
the idol of the women, and the lionising he un-
derwent there might have made him exceedingly
vain, for he was admired wherever he went. His
favourite resort was the opera, where most of the



196 General Sir Warren Peacockc.

young men of fashion in Lisbon congregated in the
evening. He was generally accompanied by his
friends, Dan Mackinnon, Hervey Aston, Colin
Campbell, and William Burrell. The opera at
Lisbon was its chief attraction, and it was there
that the celebrated singers, Catalini, Collini, Naldi,
and Ambrogetti, with Presle, Angiolini, Deshayes,
and the rest of the corps de ballet riveted the at-
tention of hearers and beholders ; and thence those
artistes were engaged for the London Operahouse.
Byron well describes these " amusing vagabonds," as
he calls them, and their English admirers : —

" Well may the nobles of our present race
Watch each distortion of a Naldi's face !
Well may they smile on Italy's buffoons,
And worship Catalini's pantaloons.

While Gayton bounds before the enraptured looks
Of hoary marquises and stripling dukes,
Let high-born ladies eye the lively Presle
Twirl her light limbs and spurn the heedless veil ;
Let Angiolini bare her breast of snow,
Wave the white arm, and point the pliant toe ;
Collini trill her love-inspiring song,
Strain her fair neck, and charm the listening throng."

During the Avar, Colonel Gould, the factotum of
the English ladies patronesses, and manager of
her Majesty's Theatre in London, went once a
year to Lisbon to hire his troupe ; as Waters,
Ebers, Laporte, and others, subsequently went to
Paris and ena;ao;ed sino-ers and dancers.

I have been informed that the Duke of Wellino--
ton, during the Peninsular War, visited Lisbon only
once, remaining three days at that town, at the
Palace of Necessidades ; and on this occasion he
was received in the most enthusiastic manner by
the Portuguese and English. Unfortunately, Marshal



Frank Russell at the Battle of the Pyrenees. 197

Beresford and our Minister, Sir Charles Stuart,
afterwards Lord Stuart de Kothsay, were at this
time at variance, and hated each other most cor-
dially. The Marshal wanted to lodge our great
commander at his owai house, and thereby mono-
polise his society ; but to no purpose, as the Duke
went to the palace. The Duke did not disguise his
displeasure at the inefficiency exhibited by many of
the superior officers in the British army then at
Lisbon, and sent several of them back to England,
saying, " It is not my fault that they are sent
home, but the fault of those who sent them out."

Whilst the Duke was insisting on Sir War-
ren Peacocke's acting with severity against the
skulkers from the army, these gentlemen were
complaining bitterly of the Governor for not al-
lowing them to shirk their duties, alleging that,
on account of " ill health," (unfortunately a com-
mon excuse in the service,) they ought to be
allowed to remain at Lisbon to recruit it : this
" recruiting of health," be it understood, generally
consisting of a minimum of work, combined with a
maximum of dissipation. Sir Warren was so dis-
gusted with the amount of extra work and anxiety
entailed upon him by these useless officers, that he
several times requested the Duke to find some one
to supply his place as Governor ; but the answer
he generally received was, "You are too valuable
here to be replaced by any one. I cannot possibly
spare you."

Frank Eussell at the Battle of the Pyre-
nees. — After the battle of Vittoria our army marched
to the Pyrenees, where took place those operations



198 Frank Russell at the Battle of the Pyrenees.

in the passes, and that brilliant succession of vic-
tories, which have given historical character to the
names of Picton, Lowry Cole, Adam, Colville, and a
hundred others. At that time nothing was thought
impossible for British soldiers ; after those victories
the French soldiers were not to be compared with
the English, although our adversaries were com-
manded by Soult. From Torres Vedras to the Bid-
assoa we carried everything before us, and we were
only momentarily checked at the battle of the Pyre-
nees, where Lord Wellington found that the French
were not disposed to allow us to invade their
country without a severe struggle. At that memor-
able battle, Soult made a desperate effort to drive
us back again into Spain ; but he found to his cost
that the fiercer he fought the more desperate was
the resistance he had to encounter, till at length he
saw it was impossible to withstand our invincible
phalanx.

One of the heroes of that bloody day was Frank
Russell, " the Pride of Woburn Abbey," whose char-
acter it would be as difficult to overestimate as it
would be to give an idea of his chivalrous bearing
in presence of the enemy. He possessed all the
requisites for a good soldier. Of noble birth, good
looking, and with a splendid figure, he was valiant
in the extreme. He was gazetted in the 7th
Fusiliers at the age of sixteen, and forthwith sent
with them to Spain, where he followed the fortunes
of his corps up to the time of the battle of the
Pyrenees. One of the most furious attacks made
by Soult on our position at this celebrated conflict
was directed on the left wing of the British army.
The Fusiliers were posted on the right, and



Frank Russell at the Battle of the Pyrenees. 199

ordered to maintain themselves against all odds,
and not to budge a foot. The French General being
determined to turn our right, sent an overwhelming
force against Frank's regiment, which was posted
against a mountain wall. The Fusiliers defended
themselves with obstinate courage, but their Colonel,
for some reason which was never explained, declared
it prudent to order a retreat, though his line was
unbroken. Frank Russell, however, shouted out,
" Not yet, Colonel," and with the colours of his regi-
ment mounted the wall and cheered our men on ,
the French meanwhile renewing their attack with
redoubled vigour. During this fierce struggle, how-
ever, our hero kept his position, till the fierce energy
with which the French had been fighting began to
cool : for "Wellington had meanwhile broken Soult's
centre, and the retreat of the French forces was
ordered. Before Eussell quitted his post of honour,
Lord Wellington with his staff happened to pass by
the wall, and saw Eussell standing on the wall, hold-
ing the colours of his regiment, which were riddled
with bullet holes. On the following clay, when the
gallant young officer's conduct was reported to our
great commander, he exclaimed, " Ah ! there 's no-
thing like blood."

The chivalrous bearing of Frank Russell affords
a memorable example of the feeling which actuated
young officers at the time of which I am now speak-
ing. As a man of the world, Frank was a great
favourite with the fair sex, and enjoyed in a remark-
able degree the confidence of his friends ; for his
temper and disposition were eminently sociable, and
he was noted for his kindness of heart. He died at
ifcn early age, holding a company of the Guards, and



200 Hunting in the Pyrenees, 1813, 1814.

was tmiversally regretted. A pretty compliment
was paid to him by the Duchess of York, who pre-
sented him with a ring, made by La wrier, the jeweller
in St James's Street, having for a motto, " None but
the brave deserve the fair."

Hunting in the Pyrenees, 1813, 1814. — The
Commissary-General, Marsden, who belonged to
head-quarters, succeeded in collecting from England
a kennel of splendid hounds. On the Marquis of
Worcester's (the late Duke of Beaufort) leaving the
army, he promised to send some of his father's dogs
to Marsden ; other gentlemen followed this noble-
man's example, and before we crossed the Bidassoa
the pack was complete, and in fine condition. The
hunting in the Pyrenees reminded me of my native
Wales ; it was all up hill and down dale, and for that
reason, when a fox was found he was seldom if ever
killed. The best riders belonging to the hunt were
the officers of the 14th and 16th Dragoons, who were,
as a rule, well mounted. I have seen at a meet in
the Pyrenees about two hundred officers assembled,
some (as I have said) well mounted, but the majority
on "screws," ponies, or even mules — a strange con-
trast to the Quorn and Pytchley gatherings. The
greatest character of all was Lascelles, on his immense
horse, on which he used to delight to race up hill
for a lark ; and many were the scrapes he got into
with the whipper-in for riding over the bounds.

One fine morning in October 1313, Eeynard
took it into his head to cross the Bidassoa, and
the dogs and huntsman, heedless of danger, fol-
lowed. The notes of the hounds and the cheering
of the huntsman alarmed a French drum-major and



Dysentery in the Peninsula. 201

some twenty boys whom he was instructing in a
secluded spot on the banks of the river. Instead of
showing fight, the drum-major with his young pupils
scampered off; the dogs meanwhile, accompanied
by the huntsman, were in full cry, and shortly after-
wards killed a fine dog fox. The field had remained
on our side of the river, enjoying the sport without
incurring any danger ; when all of a sudden the
enemy, wondering what the deuce we were about,
came down in force, with a battery of field-pieces,
and opened fire, which made us all scamper off as if
old Nick had been at our heels. Marsden, however,
advanced to the water's edge, and with his white
pocket handkerchief as a flag of truce, asked per-
mission of the French officer in command to cross
and explain what we were doing. This request was
acceded to, and when our gallant foe had heard the
reasons why we had advanced out of bounds, he
very graciously permitted the huntsman and dogs
to recross the river and join us.

Dysentery in the Peninsula. — Early in the
year 1812 the Duke of York despatched to the seat
of war the 3d Battalion of my old regiment. It was
considered by military men to have been the finest
in his Majesty's service. All the men, with the
exception of the grenadier company, were strong,
active young fellows, but had not seen active service.
They were conveyed to Cadiz, in men-of-war, and
arrived there without any accident ; but owing to
change of diet, and the substituting the horrid wine
of the country for the porter they had been accus-
tomed to at home, before the expiration of a few
weeks, five hundred of these fine fellows died in the



202 A Daring Exploit.

hospital at Yizu, and were buried in the church-yard
there. I mention this to show how careful com-
manding-officers ought to be to prevent similar con-
sequences from decimating bodies of fresh troops :
although warnings of this sort have occurred all
over the globe.

On j oining my regiment in the Peninsula, one of
the grenadiers, a tall and well-built man, was recom-
mended to me as the best person to employ for
pitching my tent. This man had been brought up as a
carpenter, but through some misunderstanding with
his relations had enlisted. While cutting the trench
he entered into conversation with me, and said he
hoped, as I appeared very young and unaccustomed
to bivouacking, that I would forgive him for being so
bold as to offer a little salutary advice : which was,
to drink every morning on rising a small glass of
brandy or rum, as by so doing rheumatism, dysentery,
and many other camp disorders, would be prevented.
He added, with tears in his eyes, that he had lost
his brother at Yizu, owing to his not following the
advice he was now giving me. I was so struck with
the earnest manner of the man that I adopted his
panacea, and during the whole time that I was in
camp I never had a day's illness.

A Daring Exploit. — Among the incidents that
occurred in the war in Spain, the following will no
doubt surprise the reader : — In Picton's division in
the Pyrenees, there was an Irishman of extraordinary
courage, by name O'Keefe, who was addicted to all sorts
of irregularities, which brought him more than once
to the halberds, but who performed a feat worthy of
the heroes of antiquity. Near the pass of Ronces-



A Daring Exploit. 203

valles the French occupied a peak or impregnable
mountain called the Boar's Head, at the top of which
a company of the enemy was posted. To drive them
away appeared impossible ; Picton thought so, and
determined to invest this natural fort, to prevent
useless bloodshed. During a reconnaissance, the Gene-
ral said, in a loud voice, which was overheard by the
men below, that the French could, if they pleased,
pelt us away with stones from the top of the moun-
tain. O'Keefe stepped up, touched his cap, and
addressed Sir T. Picton thus : " If your honour
chooses, I will take the hill alone." This speech asto-
nished all who heard it ; but not the General, who
had frequently witnessed the daring and intrepidity
of O'Keefe. " If you do so," replied Sir Thomas,
" I will report it to Lord Wellington, and I promise
you your discharge, with a shilling a day for life."
O'Keefe stole away, having whispered to the com-
manding-officer of his company to follow him, and
climbed up the goat path, the English sentinels fir-
ing at him, thinking he was deserting to the enemy
O'Keefe having entered the stronghold of the French,
was received with open arms, as a deserter. He
then began to play his part, by showing signs of
imbecility, laughing, dancing, singing, &c. ; so that
the enemy thought that they had actually received
a madman instead of a deserter, and told him to
decamp, as there was not food enough there to feed
him. During this farce, our men quickly got up
to the summit, where they found O'Keefe occupying
the attention of the enemy. They rushed in and
took possession of this stronghold without losing
a man. O'Keefe (I believe that was his name)
received for this act of daring the nomination of



204 My Soldier-Servant.

one of the warders of the Tower from the Duke of
Wellington.

My Soldier-Servant. — When in Spain with my
regiment, it fell to my lot to receive from the ranks
a soldier born in Sicily, of Sicilian parentage, by
name Proyd. When the Guards occupied Catania,
this individual, having lost his father and mother,
was adopted by the regiment, and through the in-
strumentality of Lord Proby, became a soldier, and
was inscribed on the muster-roll of the 1st Foot
Guards. He was an excellent servant, and perhaps
the best caterer in the army ; for when we were in-
vading the Pyrenees, he supplied me with every deli-
cacy, while the army generally was living on salt beef
and biscuits : in fact, poultry, mutton, and fresh
bread at my table were the rule, rather than the
exception. With all these accomplishments, he pos-
sessed one fault — a too great admiration, unqualified
with respect, for the charms of the fair sex, and he
seldom lost an opportunity of stealing a kiss from
any pretty girl that came in his way.

On our return from the Peninsula, I took this
Figaro with me to White Knights, the seat of the
Duke of Marlborough, where I was invited to spend
some days. At this charming house I found a great
number of visitors, among whom were Lord and
Lady Grenville, Lord and Lady Macclesfield, Mr
Mathias, the author of the "Pursuits of Literature,"
Lord William Fitzroy, Mr Garlick, and others. It
happened on the day of my arrival that my servant
met the maid of Lady Macclesfield on the staircase,
and without the slightest ceremony he attempted to
kiss her. The maid, unaccustomed to such behaviour,



Sir Thomas Styles. 205

screamed, ran down stairs, and then up again, with
Proyd close at her heels ; he even followed her into
her lady's room, where she flew to take refuge. Her
ladyship, alarmed at seeing a strange man in her room,
shrieked loudly ; many persons ran to her assistance ;
and her noble husband, more dead than alive, thinking
some sad disaster had befallen the Countess, inquired
with caution, " What is the matter V Her ladyship
replied in a faint voice, " The man is under the bed."
Pokers and tongs were seized, and the noble Lord
made use of his weapons to such purpose that the
delinquent quietly surrendered. This incident, which
created great confusion, rendered it necessary that
the Sicilian should be sent to rejoin his regiment.
Poor Proyd soon after applied for his discharge, and
returned to his native land to make love to his own
countrywomen.

Sir Thomas Styles. — Poor Sir Thomas Styles,
who fought with the poet Shelley at Eton, received
a commission in the 1st Foot Guards. Had it been
in the time of peace, poor Styles would have shone
to advantage on parade and at the mess -table ; but
the active life of a soldier proved too fatiguing for
him, as will be seen by the following anecdote.
In course of time he was sent with a detach-
ment of his regiment to Portugal ; but on his
arrival at Lisbon, the Guards had left to join the
army in the neighbourhood of the Pyrenees ; ac-
cordingly, our young Guardsman received orders to
march through Portugal and Spain until he came
up with his regiment. The heat was excessive ;
and on his falling in with the brigade, poor Styles
was more dead than alive. All his brother officers



206 Sir John Elley of the " Blues"

hastened to congratulate him on his safe arrival
after so long a march ; but he spoke little, saying,
that, ever since he had left Lisbon, he had not
closed his eyes for half-an-hour, and that his health
was in such a state that he feared he could not lono*
survive. Observing that something extraordinary
had happened, he was pressed to be more explicit,
and to tell what had occurred to make him so
miserable. He replied, with a very grave counte-
nance, that the fleas and vermin on the march had
nearly driven him mad ; and that when the peasant
girls observed him scratching himself, they would
laugh, and shaking their petticoats over pails full
of water, tell hiin how much more they were to be
pitied than he. Our doctor, Mr Bacot, a very kind
fellow, anticipating brain fever, placed Styles in his
camp bed, covered his head with wet towels, and
desired his batman to watch over his master, and
not to leave him for an instant. However, the
servant fell asleep, and during the night poor Styles
got out of bed, unlocked his trunk where his razors
were kept, and with one of them deliberately cut
his throat from ear to ear.

Sir John Elley of the " Blues." — In my
former volumes I have had the pleasure of relating
several anecdotes of this gallant officer ; and in the
third volume, I mentioned his having commenced
his military career as a private in the Blues. I
have received a letter from a gentleman, who knew
him personally, giving me the following information
respecting this dashing hero : — " I spent some time
at Harrowgate with this gallant soldier, whom I
admired not only for his bravery, but for his



Sir John Elley of the " Blues." 207

talents ; he was replete with wit and fun, and full of
the most interesting anecdotes. On my leaving him,
he said that he had an old acquaintance residing
not far from my father's place, whither I was going,
and he would feel obliged if I would ride over some
day to a certain toll-bar in the west of Cumberland,
and deliver a message to his old friend, the sergeant
who had enlisted him in the Blues. I did not for-
get a promise which might lead to some anecdotes
respecting Sir John s early life ; and shortly after
arriving at home, I mounted mv nag, rode to the
toll-bar, and saw the old sergeant, who kept the
turnpike and appeared to be seventy-five years of
age. When he came to take the toll, he appeared
much astonished at receiving the message from Sir
John, and asking after his health said, that it was
true that he had enlisted him into the Blues, and
he related the circumstance : — ' The sergeant having
charge of a recruiting party at Barnet, one fine day
a tall and respectable-looking young fellow ad-
dressed him, stating he wanted to enlist ; the
shilling was therefore given, and on the following
day the recruit was sent to head-quarters, where he
was passed and duly enlisted in the Eoyal Guards.'
The old man being asked what he knew of Sir
John's antecedents said, that the appearance and man-
ner of the recruit proved him to have been a gentle-
man. He declined affirming as to the truth of what
he had heard ; but added that the report current in
the regiment after his entering it, was that the
new recruit had held a cornet's commission in the
Scots Greys, then quartered at Doncaster ; but
owing to a misunderstanding with an officer about
a lady, he had thrown up his commission in dis-



208 Jack Talbot of the Guards.

gust, and having spent all his money, enlisted as a
private in the manner described. In the barrack-
room he was hail fellow well met with all his com-
rades, who nevertheless treated him as their superior.
As a swordsman and rider, he was considered the
best in the regiment ; and in consequence of his
gentlemanly deportment, and being a good pen-
man, he was taken into the adjutant's office, whence
he was promoted to a commission in the regiment.
Perhaps the most distinguished service ever per-
formed by Sir John Elley was in the cavalry en-
gagement at the battle of Vittoria, when he was
assistant adjutant-general to the cavalry under the
immediate command of Sir W Cotton. Sir William
had given directions to the 3d Light Dragoons to
charge a superior force of the enemy, which proved
disastrous ; for the regiment was almost entirely
cut to pieces. Sir John Elley observing this disas-
ter, got together as many of the 14th and 16th
Dragoons as he could, and charged at the head of
them through the enemy ; thereby saving many of
the fine fellows who were dispersed and unable to
act. In the charge he was knocked down, together
with his horse, the fall breaking his leg ; and al-
though continually ridden over by friend and foe
in the -mclce, Elley, nothing daunted, cheered on
his men to fight for the honour of old England, and
at last, catching hold of Sergeant Cooper's stirrup,
was dragged to the rear.

Jack Talbot of the Guards. — Poor Jack
Talbot, after leaving Eton, entered the Coldstream
Guards, and accompanied his regiment to Spain,
where he evinced great courage, and was foremost in



Jack Talbot of the Guards. 209



every fight. Though he possessed many imperfections,
he was the manliest and kindest of human beings,
and was the idol of the women ; and their champion,
also, for he was one of the few men who would
never hear improper epithets applied to them un-
der any circumstances, or allow their failings to be
criticised by those who were in all probability the
cause of them. There was a charm in Talbot's con-
versation that I never found in that of any other
man ; his brave good heart, and love of punch,
made him an agreeable companion, and many
friends. When in his cups, or rather bowls, he
would talk facetiously about his rich father in
Ireland, Lord Malahide, spending that nobleman's
money all the time. He was foolishly generous. I
have often seen him, at a club or in a coffee-house,
pay for the whole of his friends present ; and his
liberality to women of all classes was profuse. He
used to say, " I would rather disoblige my father
or my best friend than a pretty woman."

Whether in the Guards' club or at private
assemblies, you were always sure to find Jack sur-
rounded by a circle of friends, amused with his
witty conversation and charmed with his good
humour. He had always a smile on his face ; in
fact, everybody acknowledged him as their friend,
from Beau Brummel to Theodore Hook.

During his last illness, Alvanley asked the doctor
of the regiment what he thought of it. The doctor
replied, " My Lord, he is in a bad way, for I was
obliged to make use of the lancet this morning."
" You should have tapped him, doctor," said Lord
Alvanley ; " for I am sure he has more claret than
blood in his veins." The late Duke of Beaufort

o



210 "Teapot" Cmufurd.



one day called upon him at his lodgings in Mount
Street, and found him drinking sherry at breakfast :
the duke remonstrated with him, saying, " It will be
the death of you." Talbot replied, '• I get drunk
every night, and find myself the better for it next
mornins;." Talbot was a great favourite of the late
Duke of Cambridge, who frequently called to in-
quire after his health. Upon one occasion, the cap-
tain's servant, in answer to the Duke's interroga-
tions, told His Royal Highness that his master did
not want to see either doctor or parson, but only
wished to be left to die in peace. The Duke, with
sad forebodings, sent Dr Keate to see him ; the
doctor, on his arrival, found Talbot seated in his
arm-chair dead, with a bottle of sherry half-empty
on the table beside him. He was only twenty-seven.

"Teapot'*' Ckawfurd. — Crawfurd was brought
up at Eton, and subsequently entered the 10th
Hussars. He possessed immense strength, was a
handsome fellow, and his bravery was proverbial.
His riding to hounds particularly, when a boy at
Melton Mowbray and Belvoir Castle, was plucky
in the extreme. He was called " Teapot," because
of his predilection when at Eton for brewing tea
in a black pot, which he kept and cherished when
a soldier ; though some would have it that his
handsome head looked like those on old-fashioned
teapots. He was noble-looking to the last day of
his life, though worn down by disease. As a com-
panion, he was charming ; his bewitching manner
found him friends everywhere, and he was courted
by the dandies and men of fashion. He married
Lady Barbara Coventry, a very beautiful woman,



The Guards Club. 211



with whom he lived happily many years. The
Prince Eegent was very partial to him ; and on the
occasion of the 10th Hussars being paraded before
their departure for Spain, the Prince said to him,
" Go, my boy, and show the world what stuff you
are made of. You possess strength, youth, and
courage ; go, and conquer/' Crawfurd arrived in
Spain, and his first rencontre with the enemy was
at Orthes, where he was foremost in the charge,
and behaved splendidly. A brother of his, equally
brave, was killed at Waterloo, whilst defending the
chateau of Hougomont.

The Guaeds' Club. — In order that my readers
may understand what I am about to relate, it is
desirable for me to advert to the causes which
induced the officers of the Foot Guards to form
their Club. Circumstances which it is unnecessary
to enter into had for a long time prevented those
gallant sons of Mars from carrying out the object
they had in view. Unseemly broils and quarrels
often took place in the room at the St James's
Coffee-house, at the bottom of St James's Street,
where the officers of the Guards used to congregate,
and these were caused mainly by the admission of
(or rather the impossibility of excluding) Irish
bullies and persons of fashionable exterior but not
of good birth or breeding. Consequently the officers
were obliged, on the return of their regiments from
the Peninsula after the disaster at Corunna, to estab-
lish a club of their own. Arrangements were made,
and the Guards' Club was formed, the subscription
to which was at first only £5 per annum for each
member.



212 General Thornton and Theodore Hook



Among those who first patronised this new
institution were the Dukes of York, Cambridge,
and Gloucester, and nearly all the general and
field officers then in London. The room where the
meetings of the officers of the Guards used to be
held at the St James's Coffee-house was a miserable
little den, the floor sanded over like a tap-room
now-a-days : a strange contrast to the luxurious
apartments now occupied by the officers in Pall
Mall ; but notwithstanding this, among the people
who used to assemble might be found all the wits
of the day — Brinsley Sheridan, Jekyll, Wyndham,
and others, whose choice sayings over their punch
and pipes would fill a volume. The rules of the
new Club excluded gambling; and from 1812 till
1821, when I left it, I cannot recollect any serious
quarrel occurring among the members, who were
composed of the best men England could boast of.
So great was the loyalty that pervaded them, that
when the trial of Queen Caroline took place, and
the Times made use of disrespectful language
towards her, that paper was, at a meeting of the
Club convened by Sir Henry Hardinge, late Lord
Hardinge, expelled. Tempora rnutantur et nos
mutamur in illis.

General Thornton and Theodore Hook. — On
the return of the British army from Spain in 1814,
the Prince Regent, desirous of rewarding the per-
sonal associates of the Duke of "Wellington, decided
on removing the Generals of the Guards, and giving
their places to officers of the Duke's staff who
ranked as Colonels. The Generals were mostly
either useless and decrepit veterans, or officers whoso



The Heroic Lady Waldegrave. 213

ideas of service consisted in attending as little as
possible to their regiments, and giving the balance
of their time to pleasure. One of them, General
Thornton, was afflicted with the idea that of all
persons in the world he was the only one who
understood the art of waltzing. In fact, it was quite
a mania with him, and he might be seen at nearly
every party of note, making himself exceedingly
ridiculous by teaching young ladies to waltz : this
dance having only shortly before come into fashion.
Theodore Hook gave him the sobriquet of the
" waltzing General ; " this occasioned a violent
altercation between them at a ball in Portman
Square, where, it is said, the General received a
more personal affront from Hook : which, however,
the soldier did not resent according to the then
received notions of honour, by calling him out.
The inquiry into this affair by a committee of the
other officers of the Guards, no doubt caused the
sweeping change proposed by the Prince Eegent ;
it was found that General Thornton had been
guilty of cowardice in not demanding immediate
satisfaction of Hook, and he was therefore desired
to quit the regiment forthwith. His resignation,
and the comments on it at the time, paved the way
to the proposed changes in command ; and when
Hook heard that the companies had been given to
the Duke's Colonels, he said, " I rejoice to hear that
they have adopted the Wellington over-alls, and dis-
carded their inexpressibles." These Colonels were
ever after called the " Wellington over-alls."

The Hekoic Lady Waldegrave. — When the
British army was about to enter France, I was



214 Colonel, alias "Jemmy," Cochrane.

struck with the beauty and attainments of the
chivalrous Lady Waldegrave, who accompanied her
lord throughout the war. Her conduct was the
theme of the army, and she won universal praise
and admiration. She was a perfect heroine.

Since the peace, I have had the honour to receive
invitations to her house in the Champs-Elysees.
She used to speak of her campaigns with the same
energy that an old soldier would talk of battles
wherein he had distinguished himself, and would
tell you of the innumerable risks she had been
exposed to in the several charges of cavalry which
her husband had led. She felt much, she used to
say, for those poor fellows who were left wounded
on the ground, and her description of their suffer-
ings was so natural and touching that it frequently
brought tears into the eyes of those who heard her.
The heroine was nearly taken prisoner upon one occa-
sion; but, upon presenting her pocket-pistol at the
breast of the French cavalry soldier who menaced
her, he dropped his sword, and suffered her to escape.

The Countess of Waldegrave was not only young
but beautiful ; she had a splendid figure, and was
one of the best riders I ever saw. She was not at
all masculine in her style ; her voice and manner
of speaking were remarkable for sweetness and
grace. I cannot hope to see her like again.

Colonel, alias "Jemmy," Cochrane of the
Guards. — This gentleman was, in the fullest sense
of the word, fearless — in fact, he dared danger ; yet,
although so brave, he was an amiable and quiet
man, and an enemy to every species of disorder.
Looking at him, one would have thought that he



Mr Corneivall and the Provost-Sergeant. 215

was fit only for a drawing-room, as he had most
delicate hands and feet ; but his figure was perfect
symmetry, and his strength was prodigious. He
had neither vanity nor ambition, and was a firm
friend to all his comrades.

Fifty years since, my lamented friend was sent to
Bristol with a recruiting party of the 3d Guards. Fre-
quent quarrels arose between the soldiers and sailors
at that place ; and upon one occasion he observed a
mob of brutal fellows ill-treating his recruiting-ser-
geant. Eegardless of the immense odds against him,
he ran to the rescue of the sergeant, who lay bleeding
on the ground, and, alone, attacked the furious mob
that surrounded them. Every blow he dealt brought
one of his adversaries to the ground, till at length
they ran away right and left, leaving him master of
the field. I was told by a gentleman who arrived
on the ground a few minutes after this unequal
fight, that he saw three men unable to move, owing
to the punishment they had received : — one had his
jaw broken, another his shoulder dislocated, and
the third was so frightfully disfigured that his own
mother would not have known him.

"Jemmy" Cochrane married a lady near Bath,
where he resided many years, and died a lieutenant-
general.

Me Cornewall and the Provost-Sergeant. —
A large army is accompanied, not only by the sut-
lers and others who make their living by so doing,
but by curious or scientific men, who seek to ac-
quire either materials for small talk or solid in-
formation useful to the world at large. Our army
in the Peninsula was not an exception to the prac-



216 21 r Cornewall and the Provost-Sergeant.

tice, and many wealthy and educated men set out
from England to follow its fortunes ; but Lord
Wellington set his face against all these intruders,
with the exception of Mr Cornewall, who was fa-
voured with his especial patronage.

This gentleman, the eldest son of the Bishop of
Hereford, having letters of introduction to his Lord-
ship, on arriving at Lisbon, provided himself with
horses, &c, and, thus equipped, reached the head-
quarters of the army in the Pyrenees. He was
present at all the battles, down to that of Toulouse,
and upon all occasions he exhibited before the
enemy the greatest sang froicl. At Toulouse Lord
Wellington requested Cornewall to be more careful
of his person, saying, " If you are killed or wounded,
the army will not pity you ; for you are unneces-
sarily courting danger.'" " Well, my Lord," replied
Cornewall, '" 1 think the odds are in my favour now;
having up to this moment escaped being hit, I care
not for what may happen.' - '

Cornewall happened to dine at head-quarters that
dav, and when returning home at a late hour, he
saw a soldier suspended by the neck from a pair
of halberds. He naturally hastened to the spot,
where he found the provost-sergeant and a few
soldiers and peasants ; and, on inquiring what it all
meant, the sergeant replied, " Sir, the man you see
hanging there has been found guilty of robbing
and ill-treating some of these poor peasants, and
was sentenced to be hanged by a drum-head court-
martial, and there he is expiating his crime." Corne-
wall went the next morning to bead-quarters,
and related to Lord Wellington what he had seen •
upon which our illustrious hero said, "Discipline



Arma Virumque Cano. 217

must he maintained at any cost, or my soldiers
may become a rabble of thieves." " True, my
Lord," replied Cornewall, " but the provost-marshal's
power appears to me to be too great ; for he acts as
judge and executioner, without the culprit having
time to appeal for mercy." Lord Wellington re-
plied, " My orders are peremptory on that score ;
and I would recommend you to be careful not to
get into the provost-sergeant's clutches, or you will
inevitably be strung up." " Thank you, my Lord,
for the hint. I will never more trust myself within
a hundred miles of such danger ; for I would rather
be riddled with the enemy's bullets than be placed
between a pair of halberds."

Arma Virumque Cano. — Towards the close of
the continental war, viz., in 1814, the militia of
that epoch were full of military ardour. The Mar-
quis of Buckingham, who was enormously fat, and
not unlike the pictures which are represented of
Falstaff, volunteered, in conjunction with his friend
Sir Watkin Williams Wynne, to take their regi-
ments, the Buckinghamshire and Flintshire Militia,
to the seat of war. Permission was granted them
to join the Duke of Wellington's army, and off
they started for Bordeaux. But they arrived " a
day after the fair," for the treaty of peace had
been signed by the allied sovereigns ; so, as the
King of France with forty thousand men

" Marched up a hill, and then marched down again,"

our patriotic warriors were obliged to retrace their
steps without having fired a shot at the enemy.
Before they re-embarked for their native land,



Anna Virumque Cano.



nowever, they took good care to impress upon the
inhabitants of Bordeaux their value as soldiers, by
parading their battalions with all the pomp and
circumstance of war, both in the morning and at
noon. Those for whose benefit this spectacle was
intended never failed attending these military
parades ; not with the idea of gaining any hints as
to evolutions, &c, but to gaze on the commanding
officers, whom they denominated, " Les boeufs-gras
anglais." The militia regiments appeared but a
sorry sight in comparison with British veterans
who had marched through Portugal and Spain,
fighting a hundred battles, and afterwards re-
mained some time at Bordeaux, where they gained
the respect of the inhabitants by their orderly con-
duct and manly bearing. Unfortunately, too, our
militiamen did not conduct themselves in a be-
coming manner , for, delighted at the cheapness of
the wine and brandy, and happening to be officered
by men incapable of looking after them properly,
when off duty they were constantly tipsy, and
getting into all sorts of scrapes and broils with the
inhabitants ; so much so, that their conduct was
reported to the Commander-in-Chief, who ordered
them home without delay.

The wine-merchants, who had not done badly
during the stay of our warlike friends in Bordeaux,
persuaded the Marquis and the Welsh baronet, on
the eve of their departure, into buying a quantity
of stuff they designated claret. Proud of their
purchase, they had it carefully shipped ; and when
it arrived in due course at London, it was stowed
away in the cellars of Stowe and Wynstay. Orders
were eventually given to have the precious liquid



Sir Jerry Coghlan. 219

bottled ; but when the casks were tapped it was
found that an acetous fermentation had taken
place, converting the " delicate Bordeaux wine "
into very bad vinegar. The two heroes, doubly
disappointed of the wine they had bought and the
honours they hoped to win, commenced legal pro-
ceedings against the vendors of the liquor ; but
they were non-suited, and had to pay costs,
amounting to a considerable sum.

Sir Jerry Coghlan. — Sir Jeremiah Coghlan's
name, and the daring acts performed by him, are
familiar to every naval man. Beginning life as a
cabin-boy on board a trading sloop, running be-
tween Cork and Neath, Coghlan was treated by the
Captain in a most inhuman manner. The brutality
of this man becoming unbearable, Jerry determined
on quitting the vessel at Neath, but was caught by
the police, and brought before one of the magistrates
of the county, a relation of the author. The boy
said that, owing to the cruel conduct of his mother,
he had been obliged to leave home, and went to
Cork, where he was bound as cabin-boy to the
master who had treated him so ill. Under these
circumstances, he was allowed to leave the sloop,
and obtained employment in Neath as a bricklayer's
lad in the building of a few houses which were in
course of erection on the Parade. Not contented
with this mode of gaining a living, he offered his
services as ordinary seaman to a captain about to
sail for Plymouth ; he was engaged, and arrived at
that port, where a terrible storm was raging. Cogh-
lan went on shore, and found his way to the beach,
where a number of persons were assembled to look



220 Sir Jerry Coghlan.

at a large East Indiana an, which was in danger of
being wrecked. Among the crowd was Sir Edward
Pellew, afterwards Lord Exmouth, who, perceiving
that the vessel was already aground, offered a prize
to any one who should carry a rope through the
breakers to those on board. No one venturing,
Jerry thrust himself forward, stripped, tied the rope
round his waist, dashed through the waves, and
succeeded in establishing a communication between
the shore and the ship. This heroic deed won the
admiration of all who witnessed it, and among them
that of Sir Edward Pellew, who took Coghlan on
board the man-of-war that he commanded, and
made him one of his midshipmen.

In a few years Jerry was sent into the Mediter-
ranean, where he displayed such coolness and daring
in cutting out prizes from the enemy's ports, engag-
ing with success French vessels larger than his own,
and running into the best guarded harbours, that
the Admiralty were induced to give him his lieu-
tenancy, and the command of a sloop of war. The
exploits Coghlan performed with this small vessel
are matters of history ; and his achievements fur-
nish instances of the wonders that can be wrought
by the union of skill, presence of mind, and ener-
getic daring : qualities which have distinguished the
British navy for the last century. Coghlan's bravery
elicited many commendations in the despatches of
Lord St Vincent, the Admiral of the Fleet. In one
place the noble Lord says : — " I did not think the
gallantry of Sir Edward Hamilton and Captain
Patrick Campbell could have been rivalled, until I
read the enclosed letter from Sir Edward Pellew,
relating the great services performed by Lieutenant



Lord Jersey and an Officer of the Guards. 221

Coghlan of the Viper cutter, which has filled me
with pride and admiration." Lord St Vincent
also addressed the following letter to Lord Spencer,
the First Lord of the Admiralty : —

" My dear Lord, — I shall not trouble your Lord-
ships with a word more than is contained in the
enclosed private letter from Sir Edward Pellew,
on the subject of the intrepid Coghlan, except to
say (not out of ostentation, but to prevent the
city or any body of merchants making him a pre-
sent of the same sort) that I gave him a sword
of one hundred guineas' value. — Yours faithfully,

"St Vincent/'

Poor Coghlan died young, owing to the wounds
he had received in the service ; but some years pre-
vious to his death the quondam cabin-boy became
a Knight of the Bath. I had the honour of being
well acquainted with him, and can speak with
pleasure of his varied attainments, extraordinary
in a self-educated man, and the manly bearing he
always exhibited.

Loed Jersey and an Officer of the Guards.
— When duelling was at its height in England, the
most absurd pretexts were made for calling a man
out. I recollect that at one of the dinners at the
Thatched House in St James's Street, Mr Willis, the
proprietor, in passing behind the chairs occupied
by the company, was accosted by a Captain in the
3d Guards in a rather satirical manner. Mr
Willis, smarting under the caustic remarks of the
gallant Captain, said aloud, — " Sir, I wrote to you at
the request of Lady Jersey, saying that as her
Ladyship was unacquainted with you, I had been



222 Lord Cctstlereagh and Sir E. Pakenham.

instructed to reply to your letter, by stating that
the Lady Patronesses declined sending you a ticket
for the ball." This statement, made in a public
room, greatly irritated the Captain ; his friends in
vain endeavoured to calm his wrath, and he sent a
cartel the following day to Lord Jersey, requesting
he would name his second, &c Lord Jersey replied
in a very dignified manner, saying that if all per-
sons who did not receive tickets from his wife were
to call him to account for want of courtesy on her
part, he should have to make up his mind to be-
come a target for young officers, and he therefore
declined the honour of the proposed meeting.

Lord Castlereagh and Sir E. Pakenham. —
The following incident occurred in London in 1814.
When the war had terminated in the Peninsula,
Sir Edward Pakenham, with his physician, Dr
John Howell, arrived in England, en route to North
America, where Sir Edward had been named by the
Duke of York, Commander-in-Chief of the British
forces. Before the departure of the gallant General,
he had promised Lord Castlereagh to breakfast
with him, and at the same time to introduce his
physician to the minister. After breakfast, Lord
C. inquired of the Doctor the precise place
where the jugular vein was situated. Dr Howell
explained it to the satisfaction of his Lordship,
stating that it would be a dangerous experiment
for any man to take the slightest liberty with that
artery, for death would inevitably follow if it were
pierced. When the General and his friend were
returning to their hotel, the former said, "I am
afraid, Doctor, you were too explicit about the



Louis Philippe at Twickenham. 223

jugular artery", for I observed Castlereagh to be in
a strange mood when you finished your anatomical
lecture." It is needless to state that many years
did not elapse before Lord C. committed suicide
by cutting his throat with a penknife.

Dr Howell related this incident to me at Brighton
in 1849.

Louis Philippe at Twickenham. — Early in this
century Louis Philippe lived with his brothers in a
small cottage at Twickenham, where, though fond of
conviviality, he practised the most rigid economy.
They had only one man-servant and a maid-of-all-
work. Towards the end of his chequered life he
was heard to say in passing the cottage, " There I
passed some of the happiest days of my life ; but
during that period I J*id to struggle against poverty,
without receiving aid from any one." The three
royal brothers had a tilbury, which they drove by
turns ; but they gave both man and horse a holiday
on Sundays.

I received this little anecdote from a friend who
when young resided at Kichmond, and was inti-
mately acquainted with the fallen monarch. Louis
Philippe resided in England till 1808, when he em-
barked for Malta, carrying thither, for change of
climate, his surviving brother, the Count Beaujolais,
then in a rapid consumption. The Count's health
was such that it was found necessary to stop at
Gibraltar, where H. E. H. died. Louis Philippe
afterwards proceeded to Sicily to return thanks for
various favours he had received from the King of
Naples, and there he met his future wife in the
king's second daughter, the Princess Amelie. There



224 Eton College in 1810.

can be little question but that it was a love match,
as at that period there did not appear to be the
remotest chance of Louis Philippe succeeding to his
patrimonial estates, much less to the crown of France ;
and it was by many considered a foolish marriage.
There were many difficulties in the way of their
being married ; but these were, however, surmounted,
and the royal pair were united on the 25th Novem-
ber 1809, at Naples.

After the downfall of Napoleon the First, Louis
Philippe returned to Paris, contrary to the wishes of
Louis XVIIL, whose jealousy was sharpened by the
wily Talleyrand. There he occupied himself with
the culture of his vast estates, the education of his
children, and the formation of a political party,
which a few years later placed him on the throne
of France.

Eton College in 1810. — AA 7 hen Dr Keate, the
head master of the Lower School, was elevated to
the Upper, he did not bring with him a popular
name ; his abrupt, blunt, and somewhat rude man-
ner, which contrasted strongly with the mild and
polished bearing of his predecessor, Dr Goodall, did
not tend to remove the unfavourable impression his
antecedents had produced. The consequence was a
good deal of disaffection, which showed itself in
various ways. The most remarkable and successful
trick which was played off on him, by some bold
and skilful boy whose name to this day remains
undisclosed, I will endeavour to desmbe. The
head master, when he came from his private cham-
bers to the upper schoolroom, had to pass through
the old library by a private door, the key of which



Eton College in 1810. 225

Keate always carried in his pocket. One morning
coming to his accustomed duties, on reaching the
door he tried in vain to insert the key into the
lock ; the key could not be forced into it : and no
wonder, for it was afterwards discovered that a
small bullet had been dexterously inserted into the
wards of the lock. The little autocrat, (for Keate
was diminutive in stature,) thus compelled to sound
a retreat, descended the private stairs, and after
making a long detour under the colonnade, entered
the upper schoolroom : he strode along full of ire
and breathing vengeance ; which, however, was never
gratified. But the game was not yet played out ;
for when the Doctor got to the upper end of the
school, and ascended the steps which led to the pul-
pit, he found the door which led into it was screwed
up. Keate was considered to be a sort of pocket
Hercules, but nevertheless all his efforts to force
open the door proved ineffectual. Foiled here, he
rushed to the other side ; but the same result
awaited him. The well-known Eton cry, " Boo,
boo," was now reiterated from one end of the school-
room to the other, which naturally added fuel to the
flame of the Doctor's wrath. Plucky to the last,
with one bound he vaulted over the doorway into
his sanctum, his face glowing with rage like a fiery
meteor. Off Hew his three-corner cocked-hat, and
down he sat ; but his seat being smeared all over
with cobbler's wax, the little man found that he
could not rise without an awkward rent in his silk
breeches. I leave it to the reader's imagination to
picture the result of this species of practical joking :
it certainly did not improve the Doctor's temper,
for he grew more unpopular with the school, and



226 George IV when Prince of Wales.

he avenged himself upon the persons of delinquent
boys.

Flogging at Eton, under Dr. Keate. — Eton
under Dr Keate was conducted on a system of brutal
severity, which never ought to have been permitted.
I recollect that a row — or, as it was foolishly de-
nominated, a rebellion — took place there in 1809,
owing to the vexatious and tyrannical conduct of
the head master, who had ordered an extra muster
roll during the summer months, by which the
boys were precluded from amusing themselves as
before at cricket, boating, &c. On this occasion,
no fewer than ninety grown-up boys were flogged
for the crime of declining to comply with the irk-
some regulation. Though this affair occurred nearly
sixty years ago, I really cannot think of it with-
out indignation ; for I remember that the fear of
the birch was so strong at the time that no boy went
up with his lesson without trembling with appre-
hension of being put in the bill for a flogging.

Keate, however, paid the penalty for his excessive
severity, for he never got on in the Church ; while
the late excellent Archbishop Sumner, who was a
tutor under Keate, and never got a boy flogged,
owed his position to his kindness towards those who
afterwards became public men.

George IV when Prince of Wales. — "When
everybody took snuff, the Prince of Wales followed
the fashion ; or rather led it, for he was known to
possess the finest collection of snuff-boxes that were
to be had for love or money. His Eoyal Highness
never permitted his friends or acquaintances the



Beau BrummeTs Aunt, Mrs Searle. 227

liberty to take a pinch out of his box, so that every
one had his own particular tabatiere. How cliffei ent
this was to times gone by, when a great man de-
lighted in nothing so much as to offer any one he
was acquainted with a pinch of snuff : for instance,
the greatest dandy of the time to which I am refer-
ring, thought it an honour to take a prise from the
poet Dryden's box ; but there was unfortunately a
wide difference between the Prince and the poet.

Mrs Fitzberbert, who was considered by many to
be the wife of the Prince Regent, lived in a mag-
nificent house in Tilney Street, Hyde Park, in great
state, her carriages and servants being the same as
those H. R. H. made use of. Brummel, who was then
on good terms with the Prince, called on this lady
one day accompanied by his friend Pierrepoint, and
found the Prince seated on a sofa. The Prince,
according to the Beau's statement, appeared sullen
and evidently annoyed at the visit of the two gen-
tlemen, and on Brummers taking a pinch of snuff
and carelessly placing his box on a small table nearly
opposite H. R. H., the Prince observed, " Mr Brummel,
the place for your box is in your pocket, _and not on
the table." Another specimen of H. R H.'s rudeness
may be cited. Lord Barrymore called at Carlton
House one day, and was ushered into the Prince's
private room ; on entering he placed his hat on a
chair, when H. R. H. observed, in a sarcastic man-
ner, " My Lord, a well-bred man places his hat under
his arm on entering a room, and on his head when
out of doors."

Beau Beummel's Aunt, Mks Searle. — At the
small entrance of the Green Park, opposite Clarges



228 Beau BrummeVs Aunt, Mrs Searle.



Street, and close to the reservoir, there stood some
years back a neat cottage surrounded by a court-
yard, with stables for cows. The exterior of the
cottage betokened no small degree of comfort and
modest affluence ; nor did the interior disappoint
those who formed that opinion. Its inmates were
two old ladies, dressed in the style of Louis XV.,
with high, lace caps and dresses of brocaded silk.

In the autumn of 1814 I happened to stroll into
the Park to see these cows, which were famed for
their colour and symmetry. It was the hour for
milking them, and one of the old ladies, observing
my curiosity to see that operation performed, came
up to the palings and begged me to walk in. I
readily complied, and remained some time, then,
thanking her for the honour she had done me, I took
my leave, having accepted her invitation to pay her
a visit the next evening ; which I did. After sa-
luting Mrs Searle and inquiring after her health, I led
her on to talk on divers matters. She had an ex-
cellent memory, was replete with esprit, and appeared
to possess a knowledge of everything and everybody.
I soon discovered that the old lady was proud of her
blood, and she told me that she was aunt to George
Brummel, the Beau; that George III. had placed her
as gate-keeper of the Green Park, and that the Prin-
cess Mary had kindly furnished her little cottage.
Her description of the Eoyal Family was somewhat
interesting. She said, that one day the Prince of
Wales, accompanied by the beautiful Marchioness
of Salisbury, called upon her, and as it was a beauti-
ful summer's evening, stopped to see her cows milked.
Her nephew George Brummel, who had only a day
or two before left Eton, happened to be present.



Anecdote of a Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland. 229

The Prince, attracted by his nice manners, entered
into conversation with him, and before he left said,
" As I find you intend to be a soldier, I will give
you a commission in my own regiment." Tears of
gratitude filled the youth's eyes, and he fell on his
knees and kissed the royal hand. Shortly after,
George Brummel's commission in the 10th Hussars
was made out, and he was soon quartered with his
regiment at Brighton. Mrs Searle added, "But what is
most singular, a striking change took place in my
nephew's behaviour ; for so soon as he began to mix
in society with the Prince, his visits to me became
less and less frequent, and now he hardly ever calls
to see his old aunt."

One Way Out of a Dilemma. — I recollect when
a boy seeing a strange couple, a Mr and Mrs Turbe-
ville, who were famed for their eccentricities. Mr
Turbeville was related to Sir Thomas Picton, but did
not possess the talent or discretion of the gallant
General. Upon one occasion, at a dinner at Dun-
raven Castle, after the ladies had retired, Mr Turbe-
ville observed to a gentleman present, that the woman
who had sat at his right was the ugliest he had ever
seen ; upon which the gentleman said, " I am sorry to
hear that you think my wife so ill-looking." " Oh, no,
sir, I have made a mistake ; I meant the lady who
sat on my left." " Well, sir, she is my sister." " It
can't be helped, sir, then ; for if what you have
said is true, I must confess I never saw such an
ugly family during the course of my life/'

Anecdote of a Lord-Lieutenant of Ieeland. —
In times gone by, when Lords-Lieutenants thought



230 Mr Lawrence, the Celebrated Surgeon.



more of love and beauty than the land they were sent
to govern, and considered they had a right to mono-
polise every pretty girl who appeared at the Castle
balls, two sisters, the beautiful Misses Gurm, were
the objects of the Viceroy's assiduous attention. Of
course, they were much envied both by mothers and
daughters for the attention shown them by the Vice-
roy and his family. All went on swimmingly until one
day a young lady, only about sixteen years of age,
and of surpassing beauty, a Miss Woodcock, made her
appearance at one of the drawing-rooms. She came
as if from the waves of the Channel, for nobody knew
her name or family, and she was known by the cog-
nomen of the beautiful Venus. The Lord-Lieutenant
at once discarded the Misses Gunn, and lavished
jewellery and presents upon the youthful Venus in
so barefaced a manner, that society began to be
alarmed, and gave the new beauty the cold shoulder.
Bunbury, the celebrated caricaturist, happening to be
at Dublin, turned the scandal to good account, by
drawing a capital likeness of the Viceroy, dressed as
Eobinson Crusoe, carrying a Gun upon each shoulder,
and a Woodcock at his left side ; denoting that his
affections lay in that quarter.

Mr Lawrence, the Celebrated Surgeon. — It
was my good fortune to have known Mr Lawrence,
who was allowed to have been the most scientific,
as well as one of the most skilful surgeons England
or Europe could boast of at that time. The opinion
entertained of him by the faculty was evinced by
the many high encomiums passed upon his talents by
his contemporaries. He was the most accomplished
and gentlest of mankind, and ever ready to render the



Escapade of an Officer of the 3d Foot Guards. 231

slightest service to a friend in distress. Upon one
occasion I called upon him at his house in White-
hall, opposite the Admiralty, and told him that
half an hour before I had seen a pretty girl, an
opera dancer, unable to move from her sofa owing
to " soft corns," which precluded her from appear-
ing on the stage. " Bring her here, my friend
Gronow, and I will endeavour to cure her ; but do
not mention to any one that I have turned chiro-
podist.'" I lost no time in calling upon the
danseuse, and prevailed upon her to place herself
under the care of my skilful friend. Some few
days elapsed, when I met Lawrence in his carriage
and was invited by him to take a drive, during
which he asked me if I had seen the young lady,
whom he had operated upon and completely cured.
Upon my replying in the negative, he said, " It is
always so when you render a service to persons
possessing neither principle nor feeling ; you are
sure to be treated with ingratitude." This lady
became immensely rich, and I regret to add that
the surgeon's fee was never paid, which I had good
reason to know amounted to twenty guineas.

Escapade of an Officer of the 3d Foot
Guakds. — It is nearly fifty years since a young
officer in the 3d Guards, smitten with the charms
of Lady Betty Charteris, who was remarkable
for her beauty and attainments, determined at
all hazards to carry her off and marry her. Her
father put a stop to any legitimate, straightfor-
ward wooing, by forbidding her to encourage the
attentions of the young officer, who was too poor to
maintain her in the position in which she had been



232 Escapade of an Officer of the 3d Foot Guards.

brought up. When the London season was over,
the family left for Scotland, and my friend, An-
drew C , decided on following his lady-love.

Andrew was young, handsome, romantic, and
sentimental ; but a brave fellow, and had fought
gallantly at Waterloo. After consulting several of
his intimate friends, who recommended persever-
ance, he determined to further his scheme by dis-
guising himself. So, with the aid of a black wig
and a suit of seedy clothes, he engaged the services
of an Italian organ-grinder, and took his place be-
side him on one of the Edinburgh coaches.

In the course of a few days the pair arrived at a
village close to the mansion of the lady's father,
and a correspondence was carried on between the
lovers. They met, and after a great many urgent
entreaties on the part of the enamoured swain, a
day was arranged for the elopement. Andrew next
gained over the head gardener, by stating that he
had just arrived from Holland, and was up to the
latest dodges in tulip-growing ; then a mania in
England. By this means he contrived to be con-
stantly on the premises, and to obtain frequent in-
terviews with the charming Lady Betty. The day
fixed at length arrived, and the organ-grinder (then
a rarity in Scotland) was introduced on the scene ;
his sprightly airs fascinated the servants, who
thronged to listen to him, and meanwhile a post-
chaise and four was driven up, out of sight of the
house, according to a previous understanding be-
tween the lovers, who were ready for instant flight.
Unluckily there was an excessively vigilant gover-
ness in attendance on Lady Betty, and at the
moment when affairs seemed most prosperous, this



The Good Fortune of a Pretty Woman. 233

duenna was at her post at the young lady's side in
the garden. Andrew, feeling that everything de-
pended on some decisive action, suddenly appeared,
and- ejaculating, " Now or never ! " caught hold of
his dulcinea's arm, and attempted to hurry in the
direction of the chaise. The dragon interposed,
and clung to the young lady, screaming for assist-
ance ; her cries brought out the servants, the en-
raged father, and the inmates of the house to her
assistance, and poor Andrew and the organ-man
with his monkey were ejected from the premises.
The young Guardsman, however, soon got over
the sorrow caused by the failure of his scheme ;
but the nickname of "Merry Andrew/' bestowed
on him by his brother officers, stuck to him after-
wards.

The Good Fortune of a Pretty Woman. —
More than half a century ago a lady, conspicuous
in the aristocratic world, on returning from a
courtly fete and arriving at her mansion about four
o'clock in the morning, was informed by her ser-
vants that a female child had been left at the door,
wrapped up in a blanket. She desired that the
infant might be taken care of ; and, in the course of
time, the child became a servant in the establish-
ment. The girl grew to be a remarkable speci-
men of female beauty ; her form Avas exquisitely
modelled ; her complexion was delicate and bloom-
ing ; her features were regular, and she was re-
markable for her large blue, thoughtful eyes. But
her greatest charm consisted in a most engaging
and lovable smile. It was difficult to gaze upon
that face without feeling an interest in Clo tilde far



234 The Good Fortune of a Pretty Woman.

beyond that which generally accompanies the con-
templation of ordinary beauty. Although educated
in the servants' hall, yet, by that singular instinct
which some women possess, she had learned to make
her conversation and manner acceptable and engag-
ing to educated persons, whether male or female.
The titled lady whom she knew as her protector
made her her confidential maid, and Clotilde soon
became the companion of her mistress.

She was not more than eighteen years of age
when an Admiral of the British navy, who visited
the house, fell desperately in love with her. It was
during the period of the great wars of Napoleon the
First, and the Admiral, being employed in cruising
about the Mediterranean, was absent from London
for long periods ; but he never failed to correspond
with Clotilde, and his letters were regularly placed
before her mistress. The girl used to turn into
ridicule the passionate language of the old sailor ;
but time passed on, and the Admiral returned,
having distinguished himself, and become known as
the intimate friend of the immortal Xelson ; and,
within six months afterwards, Clotilde became the
wife of one of the most distinguished officers of the
British navy-

As frequently occurs when a young and beautiful
woman of humble extraction is allied to a man in
advanced years, and finds herself surrounded by
men occupying the highest position in society,
Clotilde became susceptible to attentions which
were paid with a view to undermine her virtue.
Amongst her admirers was a royal Duke, who
afterwards ascended the throne of Great Britain ,
and there is every reason to believe that many



The Good Fortune of a Pretty Woman. 235

public acts of the navy and army originated in her
influence. In short, the marriage was anything
but a happy one, although the lady had daughters
who were married to rich and noble foreigners. In
the course of time the Admiral ignored her amours ;
and it was well known in London society that my
lady had her friends, and the Admiral his.

As Clotilde advanced in life, she fascinated and
formed an intimacy with one of the most wealthy
of British peers. By pandering to the eccentri-
cities of the noble Lord, her authority over him
became absolute. It was through this nobleman
that she bestowed magnificent doweries on her
daughters, and became possessed of a colossal
fortune. Although her conduct was notoriously
immoral, she was countenanced and visited by
persons who, as is too frequently the case, permit
their morality to become exceedingly elastic in the
presence of wealth. Later in life, she thought it
advisable to remove to Naples, where accident
threw her in the way of a French lady's-maid, who
in course of time obtained an alarming influence
over his Lordship. Ever adroit, and possessing
intuitive perception and forethought, the lady
made friends with the Frenchwoman; and when
his Lordship's will was opened, it revealed an
engagement which the rival ladies had previously

concocted : Lady S became the legatee to an

immense fortune, whilst her maid was moderately
provided for.

Her great aim, after the death of the nobleman
in question, was to become a respectable member of
society. She invited people to magnificent dinners,
became very devout, gave away a great deal of



236 Colonel, or "Bull" Townshend.

money in charity, and indeed did everything that
such women do under similar circumstances. Her
career is another illustration of what a pretty and
clever woman, without heart or conscience, can
accomplish, if smiled upon by fortune.

Colonel, or "Bull/' Townshend. — When the
Grenadier Guards returned to London from Cam-
brai, where they had been quartered some consider-
able time, the first thing that was proposed by the
officers, was to invite their colonel, the Duke of
York, to a banquet at the Thatched House, St James's
Street. His Eoyal Highness, in a letter full of feel-
ing and good taste, in which he alluded to the gal-
lantry of the regiment he commanded, accepted the
invitation, and, as was the custom upon such occa-
sions, the army agents of the regiment were also
invited. After dinner, Colonel Townshend com-
monly called the Bull, addressed the Duke, stat-
ing that, as he was then in command of the old
battalion, he hoped H. B. H. would permit him to
propose a toast. The Duke bowed assent, when
the Bull bellowed out, "I propose the health of Mr
Greenwood, to whom we are all of us so much
indebted." This toast was ill chosen, for the Duke
of York owed his army agents at that moment
nearly fifty thousand pounds ; but Townshend con-
sidered it a good joke, for he used frequently to
boast of having astonished the Duke with his witty
toast. Townshend was the brother of Lord Sidney.
He was considered by the officers and men of the
regiment to be intrepid and brave. He was un-
fortunately a slave to good cookery, which was the
principal cause of his death. Townshend, despite



The Marquis d'AUgre and the Dentist. 237

his imperfections, was generous and full of com-
passion to the soldiers he commanded ; he stooped
to no flattery, disdained all disloyal arts, and, in a
word, was replete with sterling and splendid qualities.

Many of my old comrades can remember the
excellent dinners Townshend used to give his
friends at Cambrai. I can call to mind that at one
of those banquets, a young officer wilfully placed
some ipecacuanha in one of Townshend's favourite
entrees, of which he ate rather voraciously. The con-
sequence was, the Colonel was obliged to quit the
dinner-table sooner than the rest of the convives.
In the hurry of the moment he sat down upon a
brittle vase, which broke, and caused a wound so
severe that he was confined to his room for many
weeks, and the doctor of the regiment was appre-
hensive of mortification, for it baffled for a con-
siderable time his skill in effecting a cure ; but,
fortunately, the gallant colonel recovered.

This unlucky accident became the subject of
general conversation all over London, and the Duke
of York happened at one of his dinners to allude to
the awkward wound inflicted upon " the Bull," when
Alvanley, who was dining at the royal table, observed
in his off-hand manner, it was a "filet de boeuf saute."

The Maequis d'Aligre and the Dentist. — In
my third volume I alluded to the Marquis d'Aligre,
who, though enormously rich, was known as the
miser. When in England, during the war with
France, he lived in great penury ; and his costume
and appearance, half military and half Moravian,
aided his assumption of the character of an im-
poverished Emigre. Having lost nearly all his



238 The Marquis cVAligre and the Dentist



teeth, he determined to have a set of false ones,
and accordingly called on Mr Spence, a celebrated
dentist, who lived in Arlington Street, Piccadilly, to
whom he represented himself as an emigrd in
urgent need of a set of teeth, but without means to
pay for them. Mr Spence, commiserating the poor
Frenchman, said he would make him a present of
them : a day was fixed for their completion, and
D'Aligre joyfully promised to keep the appoint-
ment.

It happened that a countryman of D'Aligre's
overheard the interview, and seeing Mr Spence in a
thinking attitude, after the cunning old miser had
left, said, " I suppose you are wondering why that
old gentleman should be so ill-dressed, instead of
being clothed like the generality of his country-
men." Mr Spence, not understanding the drift of
the remark, begged he would be more explicit ;
upon which the gentleman repeated his remark,
adding, " his penurious habits make us blush for
our country." "What do you mean, sir'?" reiter-
ated the dentist. " I have promised to supply him
with a new set of teeth gratis, for he represents
himself as a poor nobleman without means ; and
unless you can prove that all he has said is false,
I shall keep my word ; on the other Land if I find
that I have been imposed upon, I will make him
repent it." The Frenchman said no more, but
bowed and left. It happened, however, that among
the many foreigners who participated in Mr Spence s
hospitality, was the Due de Bourbon, who, although
very proud, was glad enough to dine with the den-
tist when invited ; and at table one day, about this
time, D'Aligre's name was mentioned. Mr Spence,



The French Emigres. 239

anxious to learn more about the man, asked His Royal
Highness if he could enlighten him on that point.
The Duke said, " D'Aligre's wealth is unbounded ; he
possesses more than all the emigres from France."

Mr Spence's wrath and indignation on disco-
vering the imposition were great ; and he deter-
mined to revenge himself. On the day appointed
for the teeth to be ready, the Marquis made his
appearance, and wished the dentist good morn-
ing in a most obsequious manner. Mr Spence took
out of his pocket a piece of paper upon which was
written, " The Marquis d'Aligre to Mr Spence for
a set of false teeth, £200," at the same time holding
in his other hand the coveted articles. D'Aligre
again attempted to enact the " poor man ; " but the
dentist gave him till the following day to pay for
them. The money not being forthcoming, Mr
Spence, in the presence of several persons, broke in
pieces the false teeth he had made, saying, " Eather
than be cheated and robbed in such a manner, I
would discontinue my profession. But this affair
will only hurt the Marquis ; for he will have to
live upon slops until he finds some dentist whom he
can defraud."

The French Emigres. — 'We must all acknow-
ledge that the self-denial and patience exhibited by
the refugees from France at the time of the Revo-
lution was worthy of the highest praise : nearly
all the nobles and proprietors of that country
quitted it during that fatal period, and the greater
part came to England. Among them I recollect the
Counts Forbin d'Offede, Choiseul, la Rochejacquelin,
de Marin, and d'Aubenton, who gave lessons in



240 The French Emigres.

French or music ; while the nobles De la Kochefou-
cauld, De Sainte-Aldegonde, and others, became linen
merchants ; others, with equally great names, kept
furnished lodgings, or cafes; while youths extremely
well born and educated were obliged to seek situa-
tions as clerks in mercantile houses. One of the
most remarkable men alive was obliged to emigrate
to London — I mean Auber, the great composer. He
became clerk in a bank, where he remained some
years . it was the same establishment where the rich
Greffulhe laid the foundation of a fortune which, it
is said, exceeds at the present moment six millions
sterling.

I have already mentioned the Marquis d'Aligre's
conduct with regard to tradespeople ; and towards his
own countrymen he was equally mean in refusing
them any assistance, although then in the enjoyment
of a princely income. After the affair with the den-
tist, London becoming too warm for him, he took his
departure for Germany with his wife, whose death
occurred there. It is the custom in that country on
such occasions, for an official to call at every house
proclaiming in a loud voice the age and titles of the
deceased, and the day fixed for the funeral ; the
Marquis, desirous of avoiding expense, and being in
a measure compelled to respect the rule, employed
his servant to announce these particulars. Accord-
ingly, the flunkey, dressed in a sorry threadbare suii
of black, carried out his master's orders by knocking
at every door, and exclaiming in a loud voice, " Hier,
a six heures du soir, Madame la Marquise d'Aligrc
caput." As " caput " in the German language means
destroyed and broken to pieces, this announcement
rather astonished the natives.



An Incident at the Battle of Borodino. 241



'liie avarice of the Marquis so disgusted the inha-
bitants of Carlsbad that they determined by hook or
by crook to get rid of him. Every sort of practical
joke was played on him, and he at last quitted the
town just as a concert of rough music, or, in other
words, a charivari, which had been preparing for
some time, was about to be given in his honour.

The Emperor Alexander. — The Emperor Alex-
ander was considered one of the politest men of his
age. When attending the Congress at Aix la Cha-
pelle, he would, out of compliment, put on the Prus-
sian uniform when he visited the King of Prussia,
the Austrian when he visited the Emperor of Austria,
and the English uniform, in honour of our country,
which was represented by the Duke of Wellington.

It is known that, prior to the disastrous Eussian
campaign, his majesty was an enthusiastic admirer
of Napoleon, and it is said that when, according to
custom, orders were exchanged between the sove-
reigns of Bussia and France, the Emperor Alexander
was so proud of the grand cross of the Legion of
Honour, that, not content with wearing it in his
button-hole, he had another cross made which, on
grand occasions, was hung round the neck of his
favourite horse. When Napoleon heard of this eccen-
tricity he said, "My brother the Emperor can do what
he likes at St Petersburg ; but if he adopted that plan
in Paris,, my Minister of Police would feel it his duty
to consign him to Bicetre (the madhouse) to prevent
his being mobbed and laughed at by the public."

An Incident at the Battle op Borodino. —
At the bloody battle of Borodino, the news of the

Q



242 General Jacqueminot.

great redoubt having been taken was carried to the
Emperor Napoleon by a staff officer. The Emperor
inquired whether the bearer of the message had been
sent by General Caulaincourt, and the officer had
begun his reply thus, "No, your majesty; I saw
the General receive his death wound on entering
the battery" — when he himself received a terrible
wound, and fell from his horse insensible through
loss of blood. The Emperor took off the cross of
honour which he wore, and directed his aide-de-
camp to place it on the poor fellow's breast. The
wound was so severe that all the surgeons could do
to resuscitate him proved for some time of no avail ;
but happily, on one of the grenadiers slapping his
hands, he opened his eyes and beheld the cross of
the Legion of Honour with which he had been deco-
rated by order of his sovereign, and was told that
if he survived he would be promoted. Fortunately,
youth and health carried him through, and the pro-
mise made to him was kept.

General Jacqueminot. — In 1814, soon after the
return of the Bourbons, General Jacqueminot and
three other officers of the Bonaparte school dressed
themselves like emigres, went to the cafe Hardy,
asked for the carte, and looking it over observed an
entree called "Poulet a la Marengo,'" upon which Jac-
queminot observed, " No, that won't do ; it smells too
much of the Revolution." A gentleman, sitting at
the next table, who had served under the Emperor
at the battle of Marengo, jumped up and exclaimed,
"What the devil do those emigres know of our
battles 1 They ran away from France when there
was diiagt!!', but come back when it is over." Jac-



The Emperor's Fur Cloak 243



queminot pretended to be very irate ; but going up
to the gentleman in question said, in a low voice,
" You are one of tlie right sort. I admire both your
courage and frankness ; and if all men of our party
would follow your example, there would not be a
Bourbon left in Paris twenty-four hours longer."

Unfortunately for the young men who had acted
the part of emigres, it happened that one of the
waiters was a policeman in disguise. He denounced
them to the Government, who ordered the whole
of them to appear before a court-martial ; they
were tried, and condemned to lose their rank and
pay in the army. Jacqueminot was so enraged
with the police spy, that he caught hold of the man
in the presence of the court, and would have mur-
dered him, had not the President, who had formerly
known Jacqueminot in Eussia, cried aloud, " You
are too brave to hurt that villain. All hail, Jacque-
minot, as a hero ! " Suddenly Jacqueminot recollected
that the President had been saved by him at the
battle of Borodino.

The Emperor's Fur Cloak. — When Napoleon
I. assumed the title of Emperor, he received from
the Emperor of Eussia a magnificent fur cloak,
which, it was reported, cost a fabulous sum. The
Princess Pauline, being desirous of possessing this
costly mantle, by exercising her bewitching fascina-
tions, prevailed upon her imperial brother to give it
her. It was generally believed that she had given
her affections to a young officer, who was considered
very handsome ; but he, not content with being
thus favoured, was very jealous of her, and objected
to her wearing the mantle, as she thereby attracted



244 A Marriage Quickly Arranged.



great attention : the Princess, therefore, made him
a present of it.

This gentleman, a M. de Canouville, vain of his
good looks, which the superb cloak set off to advan-
tage, determined on wearing it at a grand review
of the Guards, prior to their departure for Eussia.
He was riding a very young horse, which had not
been sufficiently broken, and when the Emperor ar-
rived on the ground with his escort, the sudden
burst of music and the firing of cannon so fright-
ened the animal that he bolted at railroad speed
across the review ground. Unluckily for the cox-
comb, this contretemps did not escape the keen eye of
the Emperor, who recognised the imperial gift ; and,
on his return to the Tuileries, he gave orders to
send the culprit to join the army, saying that the
fur cloak would keep him warm amid the snows
and ice of Russia, from whence it came.

A Marriage Quickly Arranged. — When the
expedition was about to sail from France for St
Domingo, the First Consul named his brother-in-
law, General Leclerc, commander-in-chief of the
invading army. The General went, as is usual in
such cases, to make his bow to his superior, prior to
his departure. Bonaparte addressed him in rather
a laconic tone, saying, " You must quit Paris
to-morrow evening." " But, sire, it is impossible,"
replied General Leclerc. " Nothing is impossible :
my orders must be obeyed. I have no objection to
your taking my sister Pauline, your wife, with you ;
but go you must." "But, sire, my sister will be left
behind in France, without money or friends." " Oh!
is that all % " replied the First Consul. " I will send



A Marriage Quickly Arranged. 245

her a husband to-morrow, with rank and money.
Begone, sir, and come back in the course of to-
morrow, and all will be arranged to your satisfac-
tion." General Leclerc left, muttering, "Nous ne
devons "plus qu'obeir. Nous avons trouve un maitre
Id oil nous ne voulions qyCun protecteur."

Meanwhile General Davoust entered the First
Consul's cabinet, when Bonaparte said to him, " I
am glad you are come, for I have found you a wife,
young and accomplished." " But, sire, I am engaged
to a young lady, and have promised to marry her
as soon as I have procured your consent." " Not a
word more, Davoust, about your promise ; but come
here to-morrow morning, and you shall know more
about your future wife." It was no use to kick
against the pricks, so Davoust arrived at the palace
the next morning, where he met Leclerc ; neither
being aware of the relation in which they were
about to stand to each other. They sent in their
names ; and Bonaparte calling them in, told Leclerc
to accompany Davoust to St Germain, where he was
to introduce the latter to his sister. Madame
de Campan, in her position of directress of the con-
vent, was to accompany them back to Paris with
the young lady in question, and all were to present
themselves at the Tuileries at a given hour. There
the marriage-contract was signed. Napoleon settled
a large dowery on the bride, and agreed to provide
her with everything necessary for her corbeille de
mariage. Thus, in twenty-four hours, one General
found a brother-in-law in a rival, the other a brother-
in-law in an engaged lover, and the young lady a
husband in the man who was justly called "the
bloody Davoust,"



2-46 Napoleon the First's Love of Music.

Napoleon the First's Love of Music. — The
Emperor Napoleon I. was passionately fond of
Italian music, and wherever the Court stayed,
several of the best artistes of the day might be
found, who were treated with the greatest con-
sideration. Paesiello was the Emperor's favourite
amongst them ; indeed, he took an unbounded
interest in his success, and was so enchanted one
day by a song Paesiello had just written, that he
caught him by the hand, saying, " Without doubt
you are the greatest composer that ever lived."
" No, sire, I am not," replied he ; " while Cimarosa
lives, to him must be given the palm."

Paesiello wrote the opera of " Proserpine," which
was brought out at Paris under the auspices of the
Emperor ; but somehow or other it did not suit the
French taste, and proved a failure. Napoleon was
furious at the non-success of his proteges opera, and
observed, " It is not to be wondered at, for the French
understand nothing of music." Paesiello thought so
too ; for though so highly patronised by the Emperor
and court, he quitted France in disgust. It was
with difficulty that a man of musical genius could
be found to replace the Italian in the Emperor's
favour; but Mehul was at last thought of, and
summoned to the Tuileries. When he was in-
formed of Napoleon's wishes, the composer solicited
an interview with the great man, and after the usual
salutation, informed the Emperor that he could not
accept the proffered honour unless allowed to
divide the perquisites with his friend Cherubini.
This was refused ; Napoleon saying, "I can never
permit that, for I hate the man." " It is a pity
sire, that you do not like him, for he is my superior



Napoleon the First's Love of Music. 247

in every way." " I care not for that. I still per-
sist in refusing to have that man near me, and
nothing can change my determination." " Then,"
replied Mehul, " I am compelled to decline the
nattering offer your majesty has made me."

The reason why the Emperor was so inimical to
Cherubini was that, when Napoleon returned from
the Italian campaign with only the rank of General,
he on one occasion offered a remark not very flat-
tering to the composer ; and Cherubini retorted,
" Melez vous, General, de gagner des batailles ; c'est
votre metier. Laissez-moi faire le mien, auquel
vous n'entendez rien." For this Cherubini was
never pardoned. Mehul, though he had refused the
Emperor's offer, still, remained in favour at Court,
and his pieces were criticised by the Emperor ; who
often told Mehul that his compositions were too
German, and not to be compared with those of the
Italian school. " The Germans, in composing, think
too much of science, but are unmindful of that
which touches the heart. This fault is also shaved
by the French composers : all their operas want
grace and gaiety." On the appearance of the opera
"L'Irato" which is written in the Italian style, Na-
poleon, ignorant as to who the composer was, begged
Mehul to be present. After some demur he con-
sented. The overture was much applauded, and
the Emperor observed to Mehul, " Now, you see,
there is nothing like Italian music." The opera
then proceeded, and was throughout much admired
by the audience ; and when at the end the authors
of the piece were called before the curtain, Mehul,
the composer, and Marsollier, the writer of the
piece, appeared, and were received with boisterous



248 Prince Eugene Beauharnais.



applause. The Emperor, delighted, sent for Mehul,
and cried out, in a tone loud enough to be heard by
many present, "Attrapez moi toujours de meme,
mon cher Mehul, et je m'en rejouirai pour votre
gloire et mes plaisirs."

Parting op Napoleon and Madame Mere. —
Talma was present at the last parting at the Malmai-
son between the Emperor and his mother, and he
said that it was one of the most tragic scenes he
had ever witnessed. When the last moment arrived,
the Empress-mother, prostrated with grief, and
with tears streaming from her eyes, could only
utter, in a tremulous voice, "Adieu, mon Jils!
adieu !" And Napoleon was so affected, that he
caught hold of both her hands, cried, "Adieu, ma
mere ! " and burst into tears as he left her. The
mother was destined never again to meet the
son

" Whose filial piety excels
Whatever Grecian story tells."

Prince Eugene Beauharnais. — Soon after the
fall of Napoleon, the Emperor of Russia, together
with the other allied sovereigns, desirous of show-
ing their respect and admiration for the conduct of
Prince Eugene, offered him the Duchy of Genoa.
The following was the reply sent by the Viceroy to
the one he had received making the offer : —

" Sire, — I have received your Majesty's proposi-
tions. They certainly are very flattering, but they
will in no way change my determination. Neither
the duchy nor the kingdom of Italy will induce
me to become a traitor ; and rather than follow the



The Emperor of the French when a Boy. 249

example of Murat, I would prefer entering the
ranks again as a private soldier.

" You state that the Emperor Napoleon was not
kind to me. I have forgotten all this. I know,
however, that I owe everything to him — my for-
tune, my rank and titles. If he should require my
services again, I would serve him with all my
ability ; for my body belongs to him, as does my
heart.

" I flatter myself that in refusing to agree to the
offer you have done me the honour to make, your
Majesty will appreciate my conduct, and assure me
the continuance of your esteem.

" Eugene Beauharnais."

The Present Emperor of the French when a
Boy. — Prince Louis Napoleon, when at the age of six,
lived with his mother, Queen Hortense, at the Mal-
maison, with whom resided the Empress Josephine ;
who, it will be remembered, received the allied sove-
reigns there in 1814, after Napoleon I. was exiled to
Elba. The Emperor of Kussia when in Paris scarcely
passed a day without visiting those exalted ladies,
and on each occasion he breakfasted or dined with
them. The Queen told her children, that when the
Emperor Alexander called, every mark of attention
and respect was to be paid to his Imperial Majesty ;
for to him, and him alone, they owed everything
they possessed in the world. Prince Louis listened
to his mother's precepts with great attention, but
said nothing. The next time the Czar came, how-
ever, the little fellow sidled up to him and quietly
placed on one of the Czar's fingers a ring, which his
uncle Prince Eugene, the Viceroy of Italy, had



250 The Emperor of the French when a Boy.

given him. The boy, on being asked by his mother
what he meant, said, " I have only this ring, which
my uncle gave me ; but I have given it to the
Emperor Alexander, because he has been so kind to
you, dear mamma." The autocrat smiled, and placing
the gift on his watch-chain, said he would never part
with it, but would keep it in remembrance of the
noble trait of generosity shown by one so young.
The Queen replied, " Sire, my son Louis keeps nothing
for himself : the other day I gave him some pretty
buttons, but he gave them away to some of his play-
mates ; and when I reproached him for so doing, his
answer was, " Vous voulez, maman, me procurer un
plaisir en me les qffrant, et vous m'en procurez deux ;
celui de recevoir de vous, maman, un jolie chose,
et ensuite le plaisir de la donner a un autre."

Another anecdote, showing the good nature of
Louis Napoleon, was related to me by the late M.
Mocquard, with whom I was well acquainted.
After leaving the Malmaison, Queen Hortense
settled by the Lake of Constance, where the young-
Prince was constantly in the habit of relieving
poor people by giving away his pocket-money. One
day he observed a family in the greatest distress,
but having no money to give them ; he took off his
coat and boots and gave them to these poor people,
saying that he was sorry that he had not any
money for them, as he had given away the allow-
ance his mother made him to some other poor
persons who had just passed by the house ; but he
hoped they would dispose of his clothes to relieve
their wants. The weather at this time was very
cold, and the ground covered with snow ; the Prince
nevertheless, trudged through it towards home



The Czar and the Apple Girl, 251

and when near the house was met by Mocquard,
who- expressed his surprise at seeing him in that
state. The little fellow, then ten years old, replied,
" I have given away my clothes to some poor
people to prevent them from starving/' Mocquard
added, that " the Emperor is never so happy as
when he can relieve the distressed."

Jerome Bonaparte and Cardinal Fesch.—
Jerome, the youngest brother of the great Em-
peror, was when young extremely wild and extra-
vagant. He was always in debt, and would borrow
money of any one who would trust him. Upon
one occasion he called upon his uncle, the Car-
dinal Fesch, who invited him to dinner. The Car-
dinal was a great amateur of paintings, and his
gallery contained some of the finest specimens of
the old masters. After dinner, the Cardinal was
on the point of quitting the dining-room, when
Jerome followed him, and asked for the loan of 500
francs. The old Cardinal refused to lend him the
money, whereupon Jerome became furious, drew his
sword, swore vengeance against his uncle, and
began cutting at everything about him. Unfortu-
nately his sword fell upon a chef-d'oeuvre by Van-
dyke, which the Cardinal, upon his return to the
dining-room, observing, called out in a loud voice,
" Stop, young man ! sheathe your sword, and here
are your 500 francs ! "

The Czar and the Apple Girl. — In the neigh-
bourhood of the Tuileries there used to be a small
fair, where apples, toys, cakes, &c, were sold. When
the Emperor Alexander was in Paris, he one day



252 De Souza, the Portuguese Ambassador.

strolled through it, and remarking a very pretty-
fascinating girl staring intently at him from one of
the stalls, he asked her the reason. " I am looking
at you, sir," she replied, " because you are the very
counterpart of the Emperor of Eussia ; but you can-
not be that great personage, or you would not lower
yourself by talking to a poor apple girl." The auto-
crat replied, "Whether I am the Emperor or not,
rest assured, my dear, that were I to stay much
longer in your company I should lose my heart ; but,
however," continued he, presenting her with a louis
d'or, " can you tell me the address of the Emperor
of Eussia, for I am anxious to find it out?" She
gave up her stall to one of her friends, and volun-
teered to accompany the great man to find himself.
On their arrival at the hotel, he begged she would
walk in. " No, sir : I have shown you where the
Emperor lives, which I think is all that you re-
quire ; so good morning, sir." " No, no, that is not
all, my little angel ; you must now tell me where
you live." " Well, sir, I am to be found at my stall."
The result of this was, that the girl found her way
to St Petersburg, where she lived for some time un-
der the Emperor's protection : she afterwards mar-
ried a great nobleman, and became the mother of
the man who played the most prominent part in
the Crimean war.

De Souza, the Portuguese Ambassador. The

fame of De Souza for the piquancy of his wit and
his readiness in retort was general at every court in
Europe. When in England, he had the entree of
Carlton House, and was on terms of intimacy with
the Prince Eegent. At that time his Eoyal BMi-,



De Souza, the Portuguese Ambassador. 253



ness's life was spent in great dissipation, and those
at court followed his example. A hundredth part
of what actually occurred at Carlton House would
afford rare materials for anecdote ; though it is only
right to add that much of the scandal propagated
respecting this period was pure invention.

De Souza, though perhaps the ugliest little man I
ever saw, was nevertheless remarkable for the charm
and grace of his conversation ; and there was no one
then in the diplomatic world, Tallyrand excepted,
who attained greater perfection in what is called the
art de vivre than the Portuguese ambassador. Our
hero revelled in the gossip and scandal of society,
and he used to amuse the Prince Eegent with fre-
quent anecdotes and witty sayings from both Lisbon
and the Brazils. His sayings made everybody laugh,
and his droll manner was inimitable. He had a
mania for relating stories about women, which some-
times made even the Eegent blush. At dinner at
Carlton House one day he observed that some men
were addicted to extraordinary tastes, and com-
menced a story in illustration, when the Prince ex-
claimed, " Halt ! no more at present, De Souza.
You shall tell us the rest when the cloth is removed."
After the servants had retired, the Prince said, " Now,
De Souza, continue the story which you began
during dinner." "Well, your Eoyal Highness, my
story will not occupy much time ; it is merely that
a friend of mine in Lisbon was exceedingly fond of
peacock's tails." " Well, what then V " Ah ! your
Eoyal Highness, he preferred those ornaments to the
most beautiful women : indeed, he was so infatuated
with them, that he sometimes fancied himself a pea-
cock/' " Come, come, De Souza, this is too much :



254 Lord Hay and the Prince Regent

we cannot swallow such nonsense." "Well, sire, I can
only vouch for what I saw, and that was, a nun
rubbing down the tails upon my friend's back, and
saying, What a beautiful bird you are!"

Lord Hay and the Prince Regent. — At the
Prince Regent's first levee, in 1815, Lord Hay, eldest
son of the Earl of Errol, was presented with other
officers of the Guards to have the honour of kissing
hands ; when the Prince gave bis hand to be kissed,
the young nobleman, unversed in court etiquette,
caught hold of it and shook it with all his might. The
Prince, though a very proud and formal personage,
seeing the youth of the young soldier, took the salute
in good part, and inquired how the Earl of Errol
was. Lord James Murray, observing that something
had occurred which was creating a laugh at the ex-
pense of his young countryman, good-naturedly took
him by the arm and removed him from the royal
presence. " What have you been doing, Lord Hay,"
inquired Lord James Murray, " to be the cause of so
much mirth V "I don't know, unless it was that I
shook the Prince's hand with all my might." " Only
that, my Lord ! " replied Lord James ; " why, you
have committed a flagrant breach of etiquette."
" How so 1 " inquired Lord Hay. " Why, you
ought only to have placed the royal hand to your
mouth, instead of shaking it." " Oh, my Lord, I
will make amends. I will return and apologise to
his Royal Highness." " No, no, Lord Hay; that will
make matters worse." The same evenino- Lord James
Murray dined with the Prince, and mentioned to his
Royal Highness what Lord Hay proposed doino-, by
way of making amends for his gaucherie. The Prince



The Prince Regent and Carlton House. 255

was extremely amused, and observed, lie never had
seen so handsome a young soldier in the uniform of
the Guards.

Lord Hay, a few days subsequently, left England,
for Brussels, to join his regiment, the 1st Foot Guards ;
and at the battle of Quatre Bras, whilst gallantly lead-
ing his company in a charge against the French sharp-
shooters, this young nobleman received a musket ball
in the heart, which, of course, caused instant death.

In those days the 1st Foot Guards were officered,
by some of the handsomest young men that Eng-
land could boast of. I recollect with pride the
names of several of them, viz. : — The two Foxes,
"William and Sackville ; the two Bridgemans ; Johnny
Lyster, Augustus Dashwood, Cradock, Daniel Tighe,
Douglas, Erskine of Mar, Alix, Thoroton, Lord Hay,
Barrington, Langrishe, and many others whose names,
alas ! I now forget. But as nothing is perfect in
this world, I must in justice state, that notwithstand-
ing the noble list I have particularised, there were in
the regiment one or two of the ugliest men, perhaps,
that the world ever beheld.

The Prince Regent and Carlton House. —
One of the meanest and most ugly edifices that
ever disfigured London, notwithstanding it was
screened by a row of columns, was Carlton House,
the residence of the Prince Regent. It was con-
demned by everybody who possessed taste ; and
Canova the sculptor, on being asked his opinion
of it, said, "There are at Rome a thousand build-
ings more beautiful, and whose architecture is in
comparison faultless, any one of which would be
more suitable for a princely residence than that ugly



256 The Prince Regent and Carlton House.

barn." This building was constantly under repair,
but never improved, for no material alterations were
made in its appearance. The first step towards
improvement should have been to give it a coat
of " lime-wash/' for it was blackened with dust and
soot. Apropos of the alterations : the workmen en-
gaged therein were a great source of annoyance to
the Prince, who, pretending that he did not like to
be stared at, objected to their entering by the gate-
way. It is certain that the Prince Eegent kept him-
self as much aloof as possible from the lower class
of his subjects, and was annoyed by the natural
curiosity of those who hold that as " a cat may look
at a king," permission for that luxury should not
be denied to bipeds.

I recollect that, having called, when on guard,
upon Sir Benjamin Bloomfield about the sale of a
cob, which he gave me to understand he wanted for
the Prince Eegent, while conversing we were inter-
rupted by the entrance of the Prince, attended by
M'Mahon and the eccentric "Tommy Tit." His
Eoyal Highness was in an angry humour, and
blurted out in his rage, " I will not allow those
maid-servants to look at me when I go in and out;
and if I find they do so again, I will have them
discharged." I could hardly believe my ears, that
a man born to the highest rank could take um-
brage at such pardonable curiosity. But while
riding in Hyde Park the next day, I was joined by
General Baylie, who it seemed had been a spectator
of this outburst of wrath: he told me that the
Prince constantly complained of the servants star-
ing at him, and that strict orders had been given
to discharge any one caught repeating the offence,



Lord Bavrymore. 257

Lord Barrymore. — This nobleman came of a
very old family, and when of age succeeded to a fine
estate. He acquired no small degree of notoriety
from his love of pugilism and cock-fighting ; but
his forte lay in driving, and few coachmen on the
northern road could " tool " a four-in-hand like
him. His Lordship was one of the founders of the
" Whip Club." The first time I ever saw Lord
Barrymore was one fine evening while taking a
stroll in Hyde Park. The weather was charming,
and a great number of the oon-ton had assembled
to witness the departure of the Four-in-Hand Club.
Conspicuous among all the " turns-out " was that
of his Lordship, who drove four splendid grays, un-
matched in symmetry, action, and power. Lord
Barrymore was, like Byron and Sir Walter Scott,
club-footed. I discovered this defect the moment
he got off his box to arrange something wrong in the
harness. If there had been a competitive examina-
tion, the prize of which would be given to the most
proficient in slang and vulgar phraseology, it would
nave been safe to back his Lordship as the winner
against the most foul-mouthed of costermongers ; for
the way he blackguarded his servants for the mis-
adjustment of a strap was horrifying. On return-
ing home, I dressed and went to the Club to dine,
where I alluded to the choice morsels of English
vernacular that had fallen from the noble whip's
mouth in addressing his servants, and was assured
that such was his usual language when out of
temper.

In addition to his " drag " in the " Four-in-hand
Club," Lord Barrymore sported a very pretty " Stan-
hope," in which he used to drive about town, ac-

R



258 Lord Barrymore.



companied by a little boy, whom the world denomi-
nated his tiger. It was reported that Lord Barry-
more had, in his younger days, been taken much
notice of by the Prince Kegent ; in fact, he had
been the boon companion of His Eoyal Highness,
and had assisted at the orgies that used to take
place at Carlton House, where he was a constant
visitor. Notwithstanding this, Lord Barrymore
was considered by those intimately acquainted with
him to be a man of literary talents. He certainly
was an accomplished musician, a patron of the
drama, and a great friend of Cooke, Kean, and the
two Kembles ; yet I have heard a host of crimes
attributed to his Lordship. This, if not a libel,
showed that the connexion existing between the
Prince Eegent and this nobleman could not have
been productive of good results, and tends to con-
firm the impression that the profligate life led by
His Eoyal Highness and those admitted to his in-
timacy was such, as to make it a matter of wonder
that such scandalous scenes of debauchery could be
permitted in a country like ours. Indeed, his ac-
quaintance with the Prince ruined Lord Barrymore
both in mind, body, and estate. While participating
in the Eegent's excesses, he had bound himself to
do his bidding, however palpably iniquitous it
might be ; and when he was discarded, in accord-
ance with that Prince's habit of treating his favour-
ites, he left Carlton House ruined in health and
reputation.

Lord Barrymore during his last years was a mar-
tyr to the gout and other diseases ; and on his
deathbed he was haunted by the recollection of
what he had been, and the thought of what he might



Lord Byron and Dan Machinnon. 259

have become : indeed, the last scene of his profli-
gate life, when tortured by the inward reproaches
of his accusing conscience, was harrowing in the
extreme.

Lord Byron and Dan Mackinnon. — During
Lord Byron's sojourn at Lisbon, he was much
amused with Dan Mackinnon's various funny
stories. Upon one occasion Dan's time was en-
tirely taken up by presenting women with tooth-
brushes, a supply of which he had received by the
packet from London. Opposite his quarters there
lived two very pretty Portuguese ladies, who, un-
mindful of Dan's proximity, and of the fact that
his windows commanded a view of their chamber,
dressed, undressed, and went through their morning
ablutions and toilet. Dan's astonishment was great
when he perceived that the fair ones never brushed
their teeth ; and he lost no time in sending his ser-
vant with two tooth-brushes in paper, well perfumed
and sealed up. The ladies opened the packet, and
appeared delighted with the present; but judge of
Mackinnon's horror in beholding those dainty crea-
tures perseveringly brushing their raven locks with
the tiny brushes !

Lord Byron was a great admirer of well-formed
hands : he preferred a pretty hand to a pretty
face. He was asked whether he admired pretty
feet : his answer was, " that he never went so
low ; " " and as for teeth," said he, " a blackamoor
has as white a set of teeth as the fairest lady in the
land." His Lordship added, " A Frenchman thinks
very little of the teeth, face, or colour of the hair ;
provided a woman put on her cashmere veil in a



260 Caricature on the Allied Sovereigns.

graceful manner and is well shod, then he is in
raptures with her."

Dan Mackinnon was ever in good spirits and
good humour, and he was a great swell both in
Lisbon and London. His calm smile, black eyes,
and splendid figure, when he strutted in uniform
down St James's Street, struck every one with
admiration. He was the most active man I ever
saw : he would run, jump, and climb against the
most expert professional gymnasts.

Caricature on the Allied Sovereigns.— I re-
collect a droll caricature in Paris, which created
much amusement among the crowds that thronged
the Boulevards. It represented the Emperor of
Austria seated in a magnificent carriage, with the
Emperor of Eussia on the box as coachman, the
Prince Regent of England as postilion, and the King
of Prussia as footman. The Emperor Napoleon was
portrayed as a running footman, holding the handle
of the carriage door, and saying to the Emperor of
Austria, then his father-in-law, "Beau pe?-e,ils m'ont
mis dehors — et moi ils m'ont mis dedans."

It was stated in well-informed circles, that, up to
the very moment the Bourbons entered Paris, the
Emperor of Austria had not the slightest idea that
the dethronement of the King of Pome, and the ban-
ishment of his father, were contemplated by the
allied Sovereigns. But the English declared that
the Bourbons were the legitimate Royal Family of
France ; and by the aid of a bribe to Metternich,
and the exercise of their continental influence, which
was then unlimited, the claim of the son of the Em-
peror Napoleon was set aside,



Breguet, the French Watchmaker. 261

Breguet, the French Watchmaker. — This cele-
brated man was greatly encouraged by the Allies in
1815. The Emperor Alexander purchased several
of his unequalled watches, and the Duke of Welling-
ton also had one which, on touching a spring at any
time, struck the hour and minute. The Duke car-
ried it for many years, and it proved of great ser-
vice to him on many occasions : it cost, I was told,
three hundred guineas. The Duke and Duchess of
Berri, the Marquis of Londonderry, Lords Beau-
champ, Chesterfield, Bruce, and many others, were
also customers of Breguet ; who was, without doubt,
the best and most scientific watchmaker known. I
frequently visited his shop, and had many conver-
sations with him ; and, although at that time get-
ting old, he was full of energy and vivacity. He
was not an advocate for flat watches, as he said they
impeded the proper action of the wheels and could
not be depended upon as time-keepers : he defied
any one to make a watch so good as those made on
his own principle. The prices he paid to his best
workmen were enormous ; there being few to whom
he could confide his watches, as so many were drunk-
ards, and could only work a day or two in the
week. He told me that he paid some of them thirty
francs a day, and none less than a napoleon ; and
that throughout Paris there were only fifteen or
twenty able to execute the delicate work necessary
for such watches as he made.

Breguet was a great encourager of merit : he
used to say to his young workmen, " Don't be dis-
couraged, or allow a failure to dishearten you ; acci-
dents will happen, miscalculations cannot altogether
be avoided : be persevering, industrious, sober, and



262 Fouche and Carnot.



honest." Such was the advice he gave, and he fre-
quently enabled those in his employ who were skil-
ful, steady, and. industrious, to arrive at opulence.
Breguet, besides his scientific knowledge and me-
chanical skill, possessed great general information.
Napoleon himself, knowing his abilities, frequently
went incognito to the workshop and conversed upon
the improvements which he was anxious to effect in
cannon and fire-arms. The Russian campaign and
its disasters put an end to all projects on that score.

Labedoyere and the Number Thirteen. — In
1815 Labedoyere, one of Napoleon's aide-de-camps,
paid a visit to the Malmaison prior to the fallen mon-
arch's departure for Cherbourg. The dinner hour
arrived, and when the company were seated, Queen
Hortense observed that the ominous number of
thirteen had assembled, and that, according to the
prevalent superstition, one of them would inevitably
die before the expiration of a year. Labedoyere
remarked, " In all probability your Majesty's pre-
diction will be verified in me ; for the Bourbons
will never forgive the part I played in joining the
Emperor on his return from Elba." The dinner
proceeded, and nothing more was thought of the
speech ; but before a year was over, poor Labe-
doyere's anticipations were realised : he was seized
by the police, brought before a court-martial com-
posed of legitimists, and condemned to die, for hav-
ing all his life espoused one cause, and fought for
it bravely.

Fouche and Carnot. — During the latter part
of the reign of Louis XVIII. his majesty nominated



L 'Enfant de Troupe. 263

Fouche as his Minister of Police. To propitiate
the Bourbonists, this man desired many of his former
friends and associates to quit France, without assign-
ing a cause. Among those who received this unex-
pected congS was the celebrated General Carnot,
who wrote the following laconic epistle to Fouche :
" Ou veux tu que faille, traitre f" to which the fol-
lowing answer was given : " Oil tu voudras, imbe-
cile!' Both Foucb^ and Carnot had voted for the
death of the unpopular Louis XVL, but had subse-
quently served as ministers to the Emperor.

L'Enpant de Troupe. — A sergeant in the 16th
Dragoons, dying suddenly, and leaving his child, a
fine boy, entirely unprovided for, without any one
to take care of him, the officers of the regiment
interested themselves in the little fellow's welfare,
and adopted him. He was brought up with great
care, and received a very good education ; and as he
was a remarkably clever youth, and his conduct
was unimpeachable, he made great progress in his
studies. He became a thorough musician, and could
play upon several instruments, and his aptitude
for learning languages was astonishing : he could
speak fluently Spanish, Portuguese, French, and
German, and had a fair knowledge of almost every
continental language. Having attained to the rank
of sergeant in the Peninsula, on the return of the
regiment to England he was sent, under the charge
of an officer, to continue his military studies at
Clifton House ; and he afterwards attended Colonel
Peter's drill in Pimlico to learn the German method
of riding (thanks to the Prince Eegent's love of
change in every department of the army.)



264 Incident at a Ball at the British Embassy.

Having obtained an entree into the houses of
several city families, and being a remarkably clever
horseman, and possessing a fine figure and good
looks, he became somewhat neglectful of his military
duties, passing most of his time among the citizen's
wives and daughters. A young lady, the daughter
of a rich merchant, fell desperately in love with
him, and the end of it was that our dashing young
sergeant married her privately ; absenting himself
for the purpose several days from Colonel Peter's
drill without leave, and when he returned it was to
give himself up as a deserter. His wife, who was
very beautiful, and who had returned with him,
flung herself on her knees before the commanding-
officer to implore pardon for her husband, who was,
notwithstanding, placed under arrest; but at the
court-martial held on the matter he was, on the
certificates of the officers of his regiment, acquitted.
His discharge was obtained with his wife's money,
and he was afterwards appointed second in com-
mand of one of our Indian Irregular corps ; in which
country he ended his somewhat eventful life.

Incident at a Ball at the British Embassy
in Paris, 1816. — During the reign of the Bour-
bons, society was, as now, divided into two or more
classes ; the nobility on the one hand, and the rich
mercantile men on the other. The latter studiously
copied their betters in dress, manner, and style of
living ; but as a system of exclusiveness was ob-
served, which militated against their being admitted
into the best salons, great interest was necessary
to overcome the obstacle to their admission. A
beautiful woman, the wife of a rich banker, being



Unknown Persons at a Ball. 265

desirous of getting an invitation to a bal costume
given at the British Embassy in Paris, induced Mr
James Rothschild, the great financier, to ask Lady
Elizabeth Stuart, the Ambassadress, for an invita-
tion. The entree being obtained by means of a
ticket obtained by stealth from Sir Charles Stuart,
the lady set about choosing a costume, and decided
on appearing as Diana ; but, not having been
classically educated, she did not bear in mind
that chastity was a distinguishing characteristic of
the goddess she intended to represent. The con-
sequence was, that her appearance was such as
to lead any one, not versed in Greek mythology,
to suppose that the country in which Diana
hunted must have lain in some happy region near
the equator, where the scantiest drapery was the
most agreeable costume. The lady, with a tri-
umphant air, that was regarded as effrontery,
entered the ballroom dressed, or rather undressed,
as described, and approached the British Ambas-
sadress, who, astonished at the exhibition, turned
her back, and studiously avoided compromising
herself by even looking at the lady during the
rest of the evening ; informing the visitors present,
her friends, that the " Jew " was alone responsible
for the immodest appearance of this representative
of the chaste goddess.

Unknown Persons at a Ball at the British
Embassy, Paris. — When the late Lord Cowley was
Ambassador in Paris, Lady Cowley, during a ball
that was being given at the Embassy, observed a
face in the crowd of visitors that she was unac-
quainted with ; she accordingly interrogated his



266 Unknown Persons at a Ball.

Lordship's private secretary and the master of the
ceremonies, but neither could find the slightest clue
as to who the gentleman was. Mr Bulwer, perceiv-
ing her Ladyship in trouble, offered his services to
find out the name of the unknown guest, and boldly
advancing towards him, accosted him in French,
saying, " I am sent by Lady Cowley to kuow your
name." Whereupon the stranger replied, " Before I
gratify you with mine, perhaps you will let me know
yours ; for your manner is excessively impertinent,
and you require to be made an example of." Bul-
wer replied, that his rank as Secretary of the Embassy
authorised him to make the inquiry, as the Ambassa-
dress did not know him. This elicited the stranger's
name and address : he was the Marquis D .

The following morning this nobleman called upon
me, and mentioned what had occurred the previous
evening ; he swore that he would run Bulwer through
the body for the insult offered him, and requested
me to be the bearer of a challenge to the offender.
I however took upon myself the responsibility of
arranging the matter without consulting any one,
and succeeded in calming the fury of the irate Mar-
quis ; I assured him that Bulwer was the last man
in the world intentionally to insult any one, espe-
cially a French nobleman with whom he was totally
unacquainted, and used other arguments to convince
him that no affront was intended ; thus preventing
a meeting.

During the same evening, Lady Cowley disco-
vered another stranger, and applied to Windsor
Heneage to enlighten her respecting hi m . Heneage
replied, " I know one thing of him ; but that he lives
in the Rue Basse du Eampart, and sold me a si]



A Musician's Reproof. 26 7

teapot not later than yesterday." The master of the
ceremonies was sent for, and desired to request the
silversmith to inform him how he dared appear at
the ball without an invitation. The man replied,
" But I had one : I received a ticket." " Then be
pleased to produce it," was the request of the master
of the ceremonies. " I left it on my mantelpiece,"
said the intruder. " Then go and fetch it." The
intruder departed on the errand and it is hardly
necessary to say that he did not return.

A Musician's Eeproof. — Among those of the
fashionable world in London who patronised music,
early after the peace, no one was more conspicuous
than Lady Flint ; whose charming concerts, given
generally on Sunday at her house in Birdcage
Walk, delighted all who had musical tastes and en-
joyed the honour of an invitation. Among the
musicians present there were Dusseck and Cramer,
who played on the piano, and were accompanied by
Viotti and Jarnowickz, the celebrated violin play-
ers. Lady Flint's desire to gratify her friends, how-
ever, was often frustrated by the annoying conduct
of those who had no taste for music, who disturbed
the enjoyment of some of the most beautiful pieces
by the rattling of their cups and saucers, and the
tone in which their conversation was carried on.
Jarnowickz, the violin player, having upon one occa-
sion commenced a concerto by Beethoven, accom-
panied by his little orchestra, consisting of Cramer,
Spagnoletti,Lindley, and Dragonetti, suddenly ceased
playing, and apologised for so doing by stating, that
the discord caused by the tea-drinkers was such as
to mar the effect of the immortal composer's music.



263 Lord Alvanley.



He added, that those who thus showed that they
did not understand music, would perhaps appreciate
better the piece which he was about to play, — viz.,
" God save the King," to which they would listen at
least with respect. The reproof had a good effect,
for always afterwards a complete silence reigned
during the performance.

Lokd Alvanley. — When Alvanley was at col-
lege, he was smitten with a sudden thirst for mi-
litary glory, and a pair of colours in the Coldstream
Guards, then commanded by the late Duke of York,
was given him. He became the Duke of York's bosom
friend, and this unfortunately led him to become
reckless in money matters. Upon one occasion
George Anson, afterwards General Anson, asked
Alvanley at White's if he felt disposed to join a
water party on the Thames, at which his cousin, Lord
Ellenborough, and several pretty women of fashion
would assemble. He assented, inquiring where they
were to dine. Anson replied, he never thought of
dining. " Well, never mind, Anson ; I will give in-
structions on that head." Accordingly, he told
Gunter to supply the party with a good dinner, to
hire the largest boat on the Thames, to have it car-
peted and covered with an awning, and make it as
comfortable as possible, and to hire twelve boat-
men : in short, nothing was to be wanting. The
fete succeeded to the satisfaction of all parties;
but Alvanley paid Gunter two hundred guineas for
his folly.

Apart from his extravagance, Alvanley, the mag-
nificent, the witty, the famous, and chivalrous,
was the idol of the clubs, and of society, from



Sir Astley Cooper and the Troop Horses. 269

the king to the ensign of the Guards. All sorts
of stories used to be told of his recklessness
about money When Lord Alvanley succeeded
to his father's fortune, he inherited an income of
eioht thousand pounds a year ; when he died, he
did not leave to his brother, who succeeded to the
title, above two thousand. Armstrong, full of biting
sarcasm, well knowing that the noble Lord never
paid ready money for anything, asked him the price
of a splendid hunter he had just purchased. " I owe
Mathe Milton three hundred guineas for it," was
the characteristic reply.

There is another amusing story of Alvanley' s ex-
travagance. His dinners were considered perfect,
and -the best in London. He had given directions
to have a cold apricot tart every clay throughout
the year, and his rnaitre d'hotel remonstrating with
him upon the expense, Alvanley replied, "Go to
Gunter's, the confectioner, and purchase all the pre-
served apricots, and don't plague me any more about
the expense."

The great charm of Alvanley's manner was its
naturalness, or naivete. He was an excellent classi-
cal scholar, a good speaker, and whatever he under-
took he succeeded in. He had lived in nearly every
court of Europe, had a vast acquaintance with the
world, and his knowledge of languages was great.
When he was recommended to pay his debts, he
gave a list of them to his friend " Punch " Greville,
but forgot to insert one of fifty thousand pounds
which he owed.

Sir Astley Cooper and the Troop Horses.
— Sir Astley Cooper, independently of his great



270 Italian Brigandage in 1815.

skill in surgery, was a very clever and humane
man. He was exceedingly fond of horses, and
whenever an opportunity occurred, would operate
on these animals with the same judgment and skill
that he bestowed on his human patients. After the
battle of Waterloo, all the wounded horses of the
Household Brigade of cavalry were sold by auction.
Sir Astley attended the sale, and bought twelve,
which he considered so severely hurt as to require
the greatest care and attention in order to effect a
cure. Having had them conveyed, under the care
of six grooms, to his park in the country, the great
surgeon followed, and with the assistance of his
servants, commenced extracting bullets and grape-
shot from the bodies and limbs of the suffering
animals. In a very short time after the operations
had been performed, Sir Astley let them loose in
the park ; and one morning, to his great delight, he
saw the noble animals form in line, charge, and then
retreat, and afterwards gallop about, appearing
greatly contented with the lot that had befallen
them. These manoeuvres were repeated generally
every morning, to his great satisfaction and amuse-
ment.

Italian Brigandage in 1815. — In the sober age
we now live in, when Englishmen can travel from Dan
to Beersheba almost without molestation, John Bull
hears with surprise that his friends on an excursion
in Italy, not half a mile from a populous town, were
seized by a party of brigands, and only liberated on
paying a ransom of some thousands of pounds. In
1815, however, these occurrences were very com-
mon. In fact, at that time both Italy and Spain



Italian Brigandage in 18.15, 271

swarmed with banditti, and travellers in those
countries were generally accompanied by an escort
of cavalry when in dangerous districts.

Two English gentlemen — Lord Valletort, son of
Lord Mount-Edgecumbe, and- the Hon. Mr Colly er,
only son of Lord Milsington, and heir to an immense
fortune — decided on visiting Italy. In those days
Englishmen exhibited more ostentation when tra-
velling than they do now ; and these two young
scions of nobility proved no exception to the rule,
for they started from London carrying baggage
enough to stock a clothes-shop, and money in their
pockets sufficient to form the capital of a provincial
bank : nothing was forgotten, in short, that might
mitigate the hardships of travel. They carried all
the luxuries of Pall Mall and St James's Street with
them. Of course, they had engaged a courier ; and
as character was not so much an object as cleverness
and insolence, some of the greatest blackguards and
thieves in the world were often candidates for such
a situation ; although, from the accounts of Italian
brigandage appearing daily in the papers, the cause
of the misadventures that befell travellers was in-
variably traced to the couriers who accompanied
them, and who gave notice to the bandits if they
were worth robbing. Our young friends had picked
up from the purlieus of Leicester Square one of
these fellows, to accompany them on their travels, —
an Italian, without a character as usual, but of
engaging manners. But how men could be so
deluded as to walk into a trap in the manner these
two tourists did is incomprehensible. However,
they embarked for the Continent provided with
baggage and money enough to tempt the brigands,



_J / -J



Italian Brigandage in 1815.



even without a courier to victimise them, and after
visiting several continental cities en route, at length
found themselves at Kome, where they engaged an
old palace and lived in splendour for some time,
spending their money like princes, and making
themselves the talk of the city.

At length they determined on making an excur-
sion to the south of Italy, and ordering their bag-
gage to be packed up, they started on their journey,
accompanied by their courier. Immediately before
reaching Fondi, the carriage was stopped, a party of
brigands made their appearance, and our travellers,
with pistols held at their heads, were commanded
to give up all that they had. Lord Valletort, who
was very hot-headed, made some show of resistance,
and had his brains blown out instantly ; while poor
Collyer, exasperated at the foul deed, snatched a
pistol from the hands of one of the gang and shot
him dead ; he was then dragged out of the carriage
and brutally murdered on the way-side. It is
hardly necessary to state that every article of value
was taken from the persons and baggage of our
murdered countrymen, and that the courier dis-
appeared with the assassins, and was never more
heard of.

This foul deed, among hosts of others, was never
avenged ; for we could not then, any more than now,
afford to quarrel with a nation like Italy on a per-
sonal matter. Very different would have been the
conduct of France in such an emergency. A frigate
would have been despatched to the scene of the
outrage, and a dozen of the peasantry (who are
generally either brigands or in league with banditti)
would have been hanged or shot in reprisal. When



Madame de Stael — The Duchess of Bur as. 273

Napoleon I. was in Italy, lie issued orders that for
every Frenchman or French soldier ill-treated or
killed by brigands, a dozen villagers should be shot ;
and after finishing off about 700 of those pests in
Italy, he established a respect for French lynch law
that lasted the whole time of his occupation of that
peninsula ; as soon, however, as the French left
Italy, this state of things was instantly changed,
and brigandage has existed from that time up to
the present : for England is held, as a power by
itself, in sovereign contempt by the whole of the
hordes that infest Terracina and the spots so graphi-
cally described by Washington Irving.

Madame de Stael and Mr Canning. — Ma-
dame de Stael, with all her talents and attractions,
was somewhat of a toady. At one of the Duchesse
de Castris' soirtes I witnessed a quarrel between
her and Mr Canning. Madame de Stael thought
that by abusing Lord Castlereagh she would obtain
favour from our great statesman ; he, however,
coolly informed her that the manner in which she
had spoken of his political adversary prevented him
from continuing to converse with her, and then
made his bow, to the surprise of those present.
Madame de Stael was so angry that she actually
foamed at the mouth.

The Duchess oe Dukas. — The Duchess of Duras
was considered a clever and witty woman. She
disliked Wellington very much, for having allowed
the pictures and statues in the Louvre to be re-
moved and sent as presents to the sovereigns
among the allies. The Apollo Belvidere, which had

s



274 Mr and Mrs Graham — their Soire'es.

been given to the Duke by the Pope, was once
the cause of a dispute between Wellington and this
high-spirited lady. On meeting him one day she
inquired what he intended doing with the statue.
He replied that he was going to have it packed up
aud sent to London. " Then," replied she, " Eng-
land will possess one god the more, but one man
the less." " How 1 " inquired our hero. " Why,"
replied the lady, "she will gain in possessing the
statue, but her honour and yours will be sacrificed
by this piece of Vandalism." The far-famed statue
however, was not sent to England.

Mr and Mrs Graham — their Soirees. — In the
year 1816, a Mr Graham and his wife, a pretty
Sicilian lady, lived in Paris in their charming hotel
in the Eue Taitbout. This gentleman, who be-
longed to an ancient Scotch family, went to Sicily
during the continental war, where he met with his
wife , and, by the good offices of Lord and Lady
William Bentinck, the young couple were intro-
duced into the best society Mrs Graham's re-
unions were considered charming. The celebrated
Prince Metternich, with his beautiful wife, Lady
Oxford and her daughters, Mr and Mrs Cavendish
Bradshaw, Mr and Mrs Hervey Aston, were her
constant visitors ; Pozzo di Borgo, the Eussian
ambassador, Baron Vincent, and Alava, the Aus-
trian and Spanish representatives, also visited the
Grahams frequently.

It is remarkable that all these diplomatists had
accompanied the Duke of Wellington at Waterloo,
and received wounds in that terrible battle. Met-
ternich was considered by all who knew him to be



Mr and Mrs Graham. — their Soirees. 275

one of the most astute and witty members of the
corps diplomatique ; but few are aware of the acute-
ness and sagacity evinced by Pozzo, who was the
inveterate enemy of the first Napoleon. He was a
Corsican by birth, and in his youth a constant play-
mate of the younger members of the Bonaparte
family ; but when the Eevolution had caused
nearly all the respectable families of Corsica to
quit that island, Pozzo determined to try his for-
tune in Eussia ; where he succeeded in thwarting
Napoleon's schemes in almost every instance. Dur-
ing the continental war he came to England,
where, by his wise counsel, he prevailed upon our
Cabinet to send subsidies to Eussia and Germany
Napoleon ever afterwards entertained a most vio-
lent hatred against Pozzo ; and on hearing his name
mentioned, he would fly into a terrible rage, and
exclaim, " The fellow is a traitor ;. he is ever in my
way : he is like the erysipelas on the body. What-
ever harm he can do me he does ; and by him my
brain is constantly disturbed, and my nervous system
kept constantly on the rack." Pozzo was born in the
same year in which Bonaparte, Wellington, and Met-
ternich first saw the light. He died very rich, and his
nephew, who married into one of the oldest families
in France, succeeded to his property.

To return to the Grahams : The charming Mrs
Graham was courted by all who approached her;
and such was the glow of health and cheerfulness in
her countenance, that no one could, be in her com-
pany long without being inspired with feelings
stronger than those of friendship : yet not a word
was heard against her honour. She had lived
happily with her husband for forty years without



276 Mr Williams Hope and his Mistress.



being blessed with a child ; but before her hus-
band's death, to the amazement and astonishment
of all her friends and of the family doctor, she bore
a son, like Sarah of old. The heir-presumptive
disputed the legitimacy of the little stranger, but
evidence was forthcoming to prove that all was
perfectly en regie; and the young Scottish chief-
tain, who will shortly attain his majority and in-
herit a splendid fortune, was acknowledged as the
bond fide son of the aged couple.

Mr Williams Hope and his Mistress. — This
gentleman inherited on coming of age a fortune of
£40,000 sterling a year from his reputed father, a
Dutchman. He exhibited alternately extreme reck-
lessness in expenditure and the stinginess of a miser.
He would one day spend thousands of pounds on
a ball or supper, and then keep his servants for
days on cold meat and stale bread. His mistress,
Mile. Jenny Coulon, a charming actress, told me
that Mr Hope, suspecting her of infidelity, break-
fasted with her at her lodgings as if nothing had
occurred, and on leaving said, "Oh, my dear, I
wish you would give me your diamonds, that I
may have them newly set." Jenny, never imagin-
ing that her lover had the remotest idea of playing
her false, readily gave them to him ; and a fort-
night afterwards he returned the ornaments, ex-
pressing a hope that she would be pleased with the
setting. On the following day, what was Jenny's
horror at receiving a visit from the jeweller, who
called upon her with a bill "for taking out the
diamonds and replacing them with paste." The
enraged fair one applied to the police for redress,



II ow to get Invited to a Ball. 277

but found she had no remedy, having voluntarily re-
linquished all claim on the diamonds by giving them
up to the donor. Yet this man has been known to
portion the daughter of a lady of rank with £20,000.

How to get Invited to a Ball. — Mr Williams
Hope's large fortune enabled him to give the most
splendid entertainments to the beau monde of Paris.
At his balls and parties all the notables of the city
were to be seen, and no expense was spared to
make them the most sumptuous entertainments
then given. It was his custom, when the invita-
tions were issued, not to open any letters till the
party was over; to save him the mortification of
refusing those who had not been invited.

It happened that a certain Marquis, well known
in Paris, who had married the sister of a prince, was
desirous of being present at one of these assemblies,
and accordingly wrote, requesting the favour of an
invitation for himself, his wife, and his wife's sister,

the Princess de C . Receiving no answer, the

Marquis called upon Mr Hope, who received him
with his usual courtesy. The Marquis began by
expressing his surprise that his letter had remained
unanswered, when Mr Hope assured him that he
had not received the letter in question ; explaining
the custom before alluded to. This explanation,
however, did not satisfy the Marquis, who observed
that such a proceeding was, to say the least of it,
extraordinary, as letters were generally written in
expectation of their receiving an answer with the
least possible delay ; and he added, " Mr Hope, by
your conduct you have not only insulted me, my
wife, and sister-in-law, but several of my friends,



278 Melancholy Result of a Ball.



I must therefore tell you, that the first time I meet
you in the Champs Elysees or the Bois de Boulogne,
I will give orders to my coachman to drive against
your carriage ; which insult you will naturally
resent." Mr Hope replied, " I am not of your
opinion as to the necessity of having my carriage
injured through the awkwardness or stupidity of
your coachman ; and to avoid all further altercation,
I will have the honour to send you as many cards
of invitation to my noxt ball as you may wish for
yourself and friends."

The Marquis swallowed the bait, returned to his
wife, overcame the objections as to the manner in
which the entree was obtained, and appeared with
her and his sister-in-law on the appointed evening.
They were received with due honours, and when
supper was announced, Mr Hope advanced towards
the Princess, and offering her his arm, conducted her
to the place of honour at his right hand at the
supper-table. The rank of the Marquis and his
sister-in-law had probably more influence than his
threat in procuring for him the invitation, as
the vanity and ostentation of Mr Hope were
no less remarkable than his meanness and eccen-
tricity.

Melancholy Eesult of a Ball. — At one of
Mr Williams Hope's balls, the crowd of visitors was
so great that many persons were obliged, on leaving
the saloons, to take shelter under an archway until
the arrival of their carriages. The wind, a keen
north-easter, was the cause of sore throat and fever
to many of the fair visitors; and of those present,
a General Didier and his wife, a remarkably hand-



Sir Charles Shakerley. 279



some couple, were seized with quinsy, and in eight-
and-forty hours afterwards they both died, and
were carried to their last resting-place at Pere la
Chaise, Nantes. This lamentable event created an
unusual sensation in Paris at the time, and was the
theme of conversation in every quarter. When it
was mentioned to a friend of mine, he coolly ob-
served that he pitied the lady, but not the General,
for it was a glorious end for a soldier to be killed
by a ball.

A Poland for an Oliver. — I recollect dining
at the British Embassy at Paris when Lord Stuart
was Ambassador. Among those invited were Long
Wellesley and the elder Cornewall. The former of
these gentlemen arrived very late, and was sarcasti-
cally asked by Cornewall if he would take some
cheese. Mr Wellesley replied in a good-natured
manner, declining the offer, and commenced his
dinner as if nothing had happened. When the
finger-glasses were handed round, Mr Cornewall
made use of the water in his, as one does when
dressing, with a tumbler and wash-hand basin ;
making, of course, an extraordinary noise with his
mouth. Wellesley noticing this, leant over towards
Cornewall, and quietly asked him if he should send
one of the servants for a piece of soap, in order that
he might complete his toilet.

Sir Charles Shakerley. — This gentleman had
a great horror of a dead body. On one occasion
Henry Williams and some others were stopping at
his house, when, some slight difference having
arisen between him and Sir Charles, the latter spoke



280 " Taking the Bull by the Horns:'



in rather an abrupt manner. The visitors, knowing
their host's antipathy, determined to pay him off
by a practical joke, and accordingly came down the
next morning looking very grave, and informed
him that Williams was seriously ill. Shakerley
hastened up stairs, and found Williams lying in
bed, foaming at the mouth and rolling his eyes
wildly. Sir Charles, struck with the thought that
his guest might die, became alarmed, and was about
to send for a conveyance to remove him ; but the
"dying man" found it convenient to get better.
When Sir Charles left the room, Williams took from
his mouth a piece of soap, with which he had imi-
tated the froth on the mouth of a man in a fit. Sir
Charles was, however, so frightened, that he never
said an unkind thing to the practical joker during
the remainder of his visit.

" Taking the Bull by the Horns." — The late
Lord John Churchill, prior to his appointment as
equerry to the lamented Duke of Sussex, com-
manded a frigate of H. M. Navy in the Mediterra-
nean. The doctor of the ship, a man of great
medical experience and decision, was one day ex-
patiating to his lordship on the efficacy of blisters,
which, he stated, had cured all the sailors who had
been attacked with fevers. Lord John replied,
" All this may be quite true ; but if ever you apply
a blister to any part of my body, by God, doctor, I
will order my ship's company to throw you over-
board." " Be it so, my Lord ; but you know I in-
variably take the bull by the horns," replied the
medico : and the matter then dropped.

A short time afterwards, the noble captain was



" Talcing the Bull by the Horns." 281

seized with violent headache and fever, and his pulse
was very high ; the doctor, therefore, determined
" coute que coute " to apply his favourite remedy.
Having prepared the blister, he contrived while
Lord J. slept, to place it on his chest without
awakening him ; he then retired to rest, but gave
orders to be called if his presence was necessary.
At an early hour the following morning, he was
awoke by the captain's servant, who, looking more
dead than alive said, that his Lordship was very vio-
lent, foaming with rage, and calling out with all his
might, " Where 's that damned doctor." The terri-
fied medico found his patient in a state of exaspera-
tion and excitement ; but upon feeling his pulse,
ascertained that the fever had greatly abated.
Lord J., though furious at the pain he was en-
during, asked what the doctor had done to him,
and quoting the " Corsair," added, —

"Prepare thee to reply
Clearly and full ; I love not mystery."

" In a word, sir, what does it all mean % I am
suffering from blisters all over my body." The
doctor, unconscious of what had occurred during
the night, opened the captain's shirt collar to look
at the effects of the blister ; but the sufferer pushed
him aside, saying, " No, doctor, it is not there ; you
will find it lower down." Lower down it certainly
was, for it was discovered, like the one mentioned
in " Tom Cringle's Log," in a very awkward place.
It had, no doubt, during the night, got rubbed off
the chest and had slipped down to a very opposite
part of the body, which was blistered severely. The
doctor, to appease the captain's anger, explained :
" I found your lordship last night in a violent fever,



282 Raggett, of White's Club.



and had no alternative left, but to take the bull by
the horns : the blister was placed contrary to my
orders, I confess ; but ' all 's well that ends well,'
and I am happy to see your lordship so much
better."

Kagget, op White's Club. — Eaggett, the well-
known club proprietor of White's, and the Eoxburgh
Club in St James's Square, was a notable character
in his way He began life as a poor man, and
died extremely rich. It was his custom to wait
upon the members of these clubs whenever play
was going on. Upon one occasion at the Eoxburgh,
the following gentlemen, Hervey Combe, Tippoo
Smith, Ward (the Member for London,) and Sir
John Malcolm, played at high stakes at whist ;
they sat during that night, viz., Monday, the fol-
lowing day and night, and only separated on Wed-
nesday morning at eleven o'clock ; indeed, the party
only broke up then owing to Hervey Combe being
obliged to attend the funeral of one of his partners
who was buried on that day. Hervey Combe, on
looking over his card, found that he was a winner
of thirty thousand pounds from Sir John Malcolm,
and he jocularly said, "Well, Sir John, you shall
have your revenge whenever you like." Sir John
replied, "Thank you, another sitting of the kind
will oblige me to return again to India." Hervey
Combe, on settling with Eaggett, pulled out of his
pocket a handful of counters, which amounted to
several hundred pounds, over and above the thirty
thousand he had won of the baronet, and he gave
them to Eaggett, saying, " I give them to you for
sitting so long with us, and providing us with all



The Cafe Tortoni. 283



required." Raggett was overjoyed, and in mention-
ing what had occurred to one of his friends a few
days afterwards, he added, " I make it a rule never
to allow any of my servants to be present when
gentlemen play at my clubs, for it is my invariable
custom to sweep the carpet after the gambling is
over, and I generally find on the floor a few
counters, which pays me for the trouble of sitting
up. By this means I have made a decent fortune."

The Cafe Tortoni. — About the commencement
of the present century, Tortoni, the centre of plea-
sure, gallantry, and entertainment, was opened by a
Neapolitan, who came to Paris to supply the Pari-
sians with good ice. The founder of this celebrated
cafe was by name Veloni, an Italian, whose father
lived with Napoleon from the period he invaded
Italy, when First Consul, down to his fall. Young
Veloni brought with him his friend Tortoni, an in-
dustrious and intelligent man. Veloni died of an
affection of the lungs, shortly after the cafe was
opened, and left the business to Tortoni ; who, by
dint of care, economy, and perseverance, made his
cafe renowned all over Europe. Towards the end
of the first Empire, and during the return of the
Bourbons, and Louis Philippe's reign, this establish-
ment was so much in vogue that it was difficult to
get an ice there ; after the opera and theatres were
over, the Boulevards were literally choked up by
the carriages of the great people of the court and the
Faubourg St Germain bringing guests to Tortoni' s.

In those days clubs did not exist in Paris, con-
sequently the gay world met there. The Duchess of
Berri, with her suite, came nearly every night incog-



2S4 The Cafe Tortoni.

nito ; the most beautiful women Paris could boast
of, old maids, dowagers, and old and young men,
pouring out their sentimental twaddle, and holding
up to scorn their betters, congregated here. In
fact, Tortoni's became a sort of club for fashionable
people ; the saloons were completely monopolised
by them, and became the rendezvous of all that was
gay, and I regret to add, immoral.

Gunter, the eldest son of the founder of the house
in Berkeley Square, arrived in Paris about this period,
to learn the art of making ice ; for prior to the
peace, our London ices and creams were acknow-
ledged, by the English as well as foreigners, to be
detestable. In the early part of the day, Tortoni's
became the rendezvous of duellists and retired offi-
cers, who cono-reo-ated in great numbers to breakfast :
which consisted of cold pates, game, fowl, fish, eggs,
broiled kidneys, iced champagne, and liqueurs from
every part of the globe.

Though Tortoni succeeded in amassing a large
fortune, he suddenly became morose, and showed
evident signs of insanity : in fact, he was the most
unhappy man on earth. On going to bed one night,
he said to the lady who superintended the manage-
ment of his cafe, " It is time for me to have done
with the world." The lady thought lightly of what
he said, but upon quitting her apartment on the fol-
lowing morning, she was told by one of the waiters
that Tortoni had hanged himself.

Among the prominent and singular personages
who used daily to visit this cafe was the Eussian
Prince Tuffiakin, who was immensely rich, and
perhaps the greatest epicure in Paris. When he
attained the respectable age of seventy, he fell des-



The Cafe Tortoni 285

perately in love with a beautiful girl, named Anna
Sinclair, who was born of Scotch parents. Upon
one occasion, whilst sipping his ice, the old man
observed his adored Anna ogling a young dandy,
and a serious quarrel was the consequence ; how-
ever, in course of time, a sort of truce was patched
up between the lovers. The fair Scotch girl pro-
mised never more to ogle, and the old man proposed
the following plan of reconciliation ; they were both
to meet at the church of Notre Dame de Lorette,
and exchange rings at the altar, and afterwards to
leave the church arm in arm. Though Tuffiakin
was of a jealous disposition, he was nevertheless a
great libertine, for he pretended to be in love with
every pretty girl he met. He suddenly became
enamoured of a well-known danseuse, who was
living under the protection of an English nobleman.
The Prince, well knowing the power of his money
boldly presented himself at the lady's house, and by
the application of an immense bribe of money and
jewels, he succeeded in obtaining the good graces of
the inconstant daughter of Terpsichore. This old
Eussian debauche hastened his death by his excesses,
and became an idiot.

Among the English persons of note who usually
met at Tortoni's, I recollect Lords Brudenell Bruce,
Bingham, and Chesterfield ; also Lord Herbert, after-
wards Earl of Pembroke, whom the French deno-
minated Lair bete: not that the noble Lord was
by any means deficient in intellect, but the envy
and jealousy of the French were piqued ; for he was
extremely handsome, and his equipages were the
finest in Paris. Sir Henry Milmay, with his beau-
tiful and accomplished wife, created an immense



286 The Ca/6 Tortoni.

sensation. Hall Standish, who spent fabulous sums
upon pictures, dinners, and balls, was a habitue
there ; and you were sure to stumble upon the kind
and excellent Tommy Garth, full of spirits and youth.
Lord Stair, who was club-footed, and the most un-
popular Englishman in Paris, might be seen sitting
in his carriage, accompanied by two dogs, within
hail of the waiters. I must not forget to mention
Mr Green, an epicure of the first water, who gave
excellent dinners ; and also poor Cuthbert, who died
in Spain, much regretted by his old friends.

It was the custom for the great ladies who came
to Tortoni's, to form their parties there ; and I recol-
lect as if it had occurred yesterday, that upon one
occasion, the Princess de Beauvau invited those
who were assembled in the centre room, to meet at
her hotel at midnight to dance. On our arrival, we
were agreeably surprised to find Musard, Colinet,
and other musicians assembled, and ready to strike
up a quadrille or a waltz. The charming daughters
of the Princess, the Ladies Harley, with others whom
I now forget, danced with all the grace of profes-
sional performers. In those days, the Minuet, Ga-
votte, and Monaco were the favourite dances, and
if a gentleman could muster sufficient grace and
agility for any of those fashionable dances, he was
sure of receiving invitations from the best houses in
the Faubourg St Germain.

About the period I allude to, a young captain in
one of the French regiments of hussars suddenly
made his appearance at Tortoni's, the Count "Walew-
ski, a natural son of the great Napoleon's. He was
remarkable for his good looks ; the ladies adored
him ; and it must be acknowledged he was one of the



An Inveterate Gambler. 287

finest-looking men I ever saw. Not liking a mili-
tary life, Walewski retired from the hussars and
adopted politics ; in which sphere he soon evinced
considerable talent. His friends the Dues de Mornv,
and Mouchy, the Counts Antonin and Louis de No-
ailles, the Count Montguyon, and Lavallette, met here
nearly every night. Upon one occasion, a strange
scene took place between Lavallette and Montguyon,
owing to a pretty girl, Mademoiselle D., with whom
it was said that they were both in love. Be this as
it may, " the green-eyed monster " was aroused, and
from high words, a duel was the consequence ; they
fought with swords, and Montguyon received a
wound in the arm, when the seconds interfered and
put an end to the affair.

The Revolution of 1830 was a death-blow to Tor-
toni's. Persons in the best society, who had during
many years been considered proud and exclusive,
now began to keep entirely aloof, and studiously
avoided going there, because of the new set which
had been formed. This cafe, nevertheless, for some
time continued to be in fashion, and the rendezvous
of persons of celebrity. Victor Hugo, Lamartine,
Sophie Gay, Alexandre Dumas, the bankers Roths-
child, and the moneyed aristocracy, frequently met
there. Clubs have, however, sprung up in Paris in
every direction within a few years, and the conse-
quence has been that Tortoni's has lost its renommee ;
but, nevertheless, the ices here are still considered
the best in Paris.

An Inveterate Gambler. — Mr Lumsden, whose
inveterate love of gambling eventually caused his
ruin, was to be seen every day at Frascati's, the



288 Colonel Sebright of the Guards.

celebrated gambling-house kept by Mme. Dunan,
where some of the most celebrated women of the
demi-monde usually congregated. He was a mar-
tyr to the gout, and his hands and knuckles were
a mass of chalk stones. He stuck to the rouge et
noir table until everybody had left ; and while
playing would take from his pocket a small slate,
upon which he would rub his chalk stones until
blood flowed. Having on one occasion been placed
near him at the rouge et noir table, I ventured to
expostulate with him for rubbing his knuckles
against his slate. He coolly answered, " I feel re-
lieved when I see the blood ooze out."

Mr Lumsden was remarkable for his courtlv
manners ; but his absence of mind was astonishing,
for he would frequently ask his neighbour where
he was. Crowds of men and women would con-
gregate behind his chair, to look at " the mad Eng-
lishman," as he was called ; and his eccentricities
used to amuse even the croupiers. After losing a
large fortune at this den of iniquity, Mr Lumsden
encountered every evil of poverty, and died in a
wretched lodging in the Eue St Marc.

Colonel Sebright of the Guards. — This gen-
tleman was well known in London, from the com-
mencement of the present century down to 1820,
as one of the most eccentric men of the age. He
stuck to the old style of corduroy knee-breeches
and top-boots to the day of his death. He never —
that is to say, for many years before his death — left
town ; and his daily occupation was to walk from
his house in Chapel Street, South Audley Street,
to Hyde Park, accompanied by his wiry-haired ter-



Colonel Sebright of the Guards. 289

rier. Then he would stroll to the Guards' Club,
finding fault with everything and everybody con-
nected with the changes taking place in the
dress, &c, of the army, and that of the English
gentleman. From the windows of the Club he
used to gaze at White's, which was opposite, and
abuse the dandies, especially Brummel and Alvan-
ley, who were his especial aversions, ejaculating,
" Damn those fellows ; they are upstarts, and fit
only for the society of tailors ! "

I recollect on one occasion his dining, when on
guard, with Colonel Archibald Macdonald, (who
was killed afterwards at Bergen- op-Zoom,) when
Brummel, Alvanley, and Pierrepoint were also of the
party. These dandies were aware of the dislike he
entertained for them, but nevertheless made a point
of asking him to take wine. But to each invitation
he replied gruffly, " Thank you ; I have already had
enough of this horrid stuff, and cannot drink more/'
His speeches were usually of this curt description.

When Sebright went to Spain with his battalion,
he left directions to have the newspapers regularly
forwarded to him, and on their arrival he desired
his servant to damp them ; then holding them to
the fire, he would exclaim, " Why, my papers smell
as if they were only printed last night." This
operation was performed every day the mails ar-
rived from England.

My gallant friend was a thorough John Bull,
and an enemy to everything that was French, even
to the dress of that nation. It was with difficulty
that he bore the innovation of the black neckcloth,
that had then just come into fashion. Upon one
occasion, on entering the Guards' Club, he per-

T



290 The Princess Charlotte of Wales.

ceivecl Willoughby Cotton with a black cravat on,
when he said, in a loud voice, "It is evident that
the officers of the Guards are in debt to their
washerwomen, or they would not wear dirty black
cravats." Willoughby Cotton, feeling indignant,
replied that he did not understand such imperti-
nence. Sebright then jumped up from his chair,
exclaiming, " I will not brook this language ! " and
left the room. Colonel Keate followed the irritable
gentleman, and told him that he had brought it all
on himself by his sarcastic observations ; and, in
short, so convinced him of his error as to cause
him to shake hands with Cotton.

The Princess Charlotte of Wales. — A few
months after the death of the lamented Princess
Charlotte of Wales, Prince Leopold, now the King of
the Belgians, went to Paris, where he lived at the
Hotel des Princes, Eue Eichelieu ; but for a length
of time he remained incognito. I was on one oc-
casion dining in the company of his Eoyal High-
ness, who interrogated me about a shooting party
at St Germain, which had taken place a day or two
before. When I mentioned the number of hares
we had shot, the Prince observed, " I never intend
again to shoot a hare, because at Claremont, one
day, when walking with my beloved wife, we
heard the cries of one that had been wounded by
one of the shooting party ; and so affected was she
by its pitiful screams, that she begged I would
not be the cause of pain to one of these animals in
future."

The Duchess of Leeds used to tell an anecdote of
her Eoyal Highness and her love of fishing. When



The Duke of Clarence. 291

engaged in this sport, on catching a fish the Princess
used to tie a piece of ribbon round its tail and throw
it back again into the water, noticing with delight
that those which had not been caught attacked those
decorated by her. Once, having been very success-
ful in catching a great many, and having exhausted
all her ribbon, she unpicked her bonnet and made
use of its trimmings to decorate the fish she caught.

The Duke of Clarence. — At the commence-
ment of 1817, the Duke of Clarence, bent upon
improving his pecuniary means, decided on marry-
ing a rich heiress. The report was circulated all
over England, (where it produced the most intense
sensation,) that the Duke had, with the consent of
his brother, the Prince Regent, actually proposed to
Miss Wykeham, whose estates in Oxfordshire were
large and of immense value. When the event was
communicated to Queen Charlotte, his royal mother
was outrageous ; she flew into a violent rage, and
with vehement asseverations, (either in English
or German,) declared that her consent should
never be given to the match. The law officers of
the Crown were consulted, cabinet councils met
daily, and after much discussion, ministers deter-
mined oil opposing the Duke's project ; notwith-
standing the opinion of one of the best lawyers that
" a prince of the blood-royal, being of age, and
notifying his intended marriage previous to its
taking place, was at liberty to marry without the
consent of the king, unless the two Houses of Par-
liament should address the Crown against it."

The excitement among all classes was at its height,
when the Morning Post informed the world one



292 The Duke of Clarence.

morning that the Duke's intended marriage was
entirely "off;" H. E. H. having been prevailed upon
by the Queen to forego his intentions. In this
course Queen Charlotte was evidently supported by
the rest of the royal family ; and it was whispered
that, as an inducement to the Prince to behave like
a good boy, the Queen, Prince Eegent, and his
royal sisters had subscribed a sufficient sum among
themselves to pay off all H. E. IPs. debts, and to
provide him with an increase of income for the
future. Much amusement was caused at the clubs
by a caricature of an old sailor, called " the love-
sick youth."

The Duke of Clarence, together with his brothers,
were in the habit of frequently dining at the table
prepared for the officers who mount guard at St
James's, and it was the custom for their Eoyal High-
nesses to send in their names when they intended
to honour the Colonel with their presence. Al-
though I was at the time very young, I recollect
being present on several occasions when the Duke
of Clarence honoured our mess with his presence,
and the amusing anecdotes he used to relate. He
astonished Colonel Archibald Macdonakl one day at
table by putting the following question to him
" Colonel, are you ever under the necessity of giving
' chocolate' to your young officers V The Colonel
(who was afterwards killed at Bergen-op-Zoom)
replied, that he did not understand what H. E. H.
meant by " giving chocolate." The Duke replied,
" Oh, I can see, Colonel, that you have not break-
fasted with Sir David Dundas, for it was his invari-
able custom to ask such officers as had fallen
under his displeasure for breaches of military dis-



The Duke of Clarence. 2f)3

cipline to breakfast with him, in order that during
the repast, where some excellent chocolate invariably
formed one of the comestibles, the culprit should be
severely lectured, and sometimes recommended to
leave the service." Ensign "Bacchus" Lascelles,
who was present, a plain-spoken fellow, sang out
from the end of the table, " Your Koyal Highness,
if the Colonel does not understand the meaning of
' chocolate ' I do ; for only this morning I received
' goose ' from the adjutant for not having suffi-
cient powder on my hair : it is quite immaterial
whether a rowing be denominated 'chocolate' or
'goose/ for it is one and the same thing." The
royal Duke laughed heartily at the sang froid of
the young ensign, and ever after evinced great par-
tiality for him.

Talking of military despotism, my old friend
Upton, though an excellent man, was extremely
rigorous in enforcing attention to military regula-
tions. Having; discovered that I shirked morning
parade, he sent for me, intending to adminis-
ter a due amount of " goose." On my arriving
at the Queen's Lodge, where he lived as one of the
equerries, and entering his apartments, I was horri-
fied at finding this excellent fellow lying on the
floor bleeding. It appeared that he had, in a tem-
porary absence of mind, made use of a pair of
razors to pull on his boots with ! Fortunately, Dr
Heberden, who was on duty in attendance upon the
King, was immediately sent for, and succeeded in
stopping the haemorrhage ; but he at the same time
expressed his fears that lock-jaw would ensue.
Luckily, Upton's strong constitution carried him
through the disaster, and in a few weeks he was



294 Englishmen in Paris in 1817



able to resume command of the battalion : and ready
to administer a plentiful allowance of "goose" to
the first unlucky wight who fell under his displea-
sure.

The Oeigin of " Shocking Bad Hat." — At
Newmarket, when the Duke of York, surrounded by
the Dukes of Queensberry, Grafton, Eutland, Port-
land, and other noblemen and gentlemen, was
busily engaged talking about and betting on a race
which was about to be run, a little insignificant-
looking man pushed his head into the ring, offering
to bet a considerable sum against a horse in the
race in question. The Duke of York's curiosity
was aroused, and he asked his neighbour who it
was that offered to lay the odds. Some one cried
out, "Oh, it is Walpole." "Then the little man
wears a shocking had hat — a shocking bad hat,"
rejoined His Eoyal Highness. The late Lord Wal-
pole and his father were both addicted to wear-
ing hats with large brims and low crowns, which
made the wearers appear anything but " comme il
fauty

Englishmen in Paris in 1817 — In the year

1817, Lord A , his brother, and another friend,

were staying in Paris. They had dined one day at
Very's, then the famous restaurant in the Palais
Eoyal, and the conversation had turned upon the
insults offered by the Parisians, particularly the
military, to the English visitors. His Lordship
was silent during this conversation, but took note
of what had been said, while imbibing some potent
Burgundy ; and his indignation was none the weaker



Englishmen in Paris in 1817 295



for having thus " bottled it up." On leaving the
restaurant the first thing he did was to kick over a
basket of toothpicks, which were presented to him
for purchase ; the next was to shove off the pave-
ment a Frenchman, who proved to be an officer. Of
course, there was a violent altercation ; cards were
exchanged, and each party went his way to make
arrangements for the " pistols and coffee for
four."

Our countrymen, when near home, picked up
their friend Manners, who had been shut out of
his lodgings, and promised to accommodate him
with a sofa at their rooms. On their arrival, he
partially uncased and wrapped himself up in a large
Witney blanket and greatcoat, and then " turned
in." At an early hour the next morning, two gen-
tlemen called on our countrymen, and were ushered
into the saloon. The first who presented himself to
receive them was his Lordship, who had nothing
on but a large pair of trousers, and a cotton night-
cap full of holes : he being so particular about
having it aired that it was constantly singed in
the process. Not speaking French, he requested
his servant to act as interpreter, and asked the
strangers the object of their visit ; the incidents
of the preceding night having passed off from his
memory with the fumes of the Chambertin. The
discussion that ensued woke up Manners, who,
wrapped in his blanket, rose from his couch, looking
more like a white bear than anything else. It also
drew from his dormitory Captain Meade, who made
his appearance from a side door, clothed only in his
night-shirt and a pair of expansive Russia diick
trousers, whistling, as was his wont, and spitting



296 Englishmen in Paris in 1817.

occasionally through a hole that had been bored in
one of his front teeth, in imitation of the stage-
coachmen of the day- Lord A 's brother next

appeared on the scene, in a costume little more
complete than those of the others.

The visitors, although astonished at the appear-
ance of the group, proceeded to business. Manners
conducted it on the part of his friends, who could
not speak French ; and, with a view of discharging
his office more comfortably, drew aside the folds of
his Witney blanket and placed his back against the
mantelpiece, to enjoy the warmth of the glow-
ing wood-ashes in the grate below. The French-
men were refused an apology by our friends,
coupled with the observation, that with English-
men the case would be different ; but that it was
impossible on the present occasion to arrange mat-
ters in that way. They therefore requested the
other party to name their weapons. Manners coolly
informed them that they had decided on using
fusils, at twelve paces ! This seemed rather to
astonish the Frenchmen : they exchanged glances,
and then cast their eyes round the room, and on
the strange figures before them. Meade was

whistling through his teeth ; Lord A , whose

coppers were rather hot, had thrust his head out
into the street through a pane of glass that had
been smashed the night before ; while the others
were stalking about the room in their rather airy
costumes. The gravity of the Frenchmen was over-
come by the ludicrous aspect and sang froid of
their opponents, and they burst out laughing.

Lord A , who was as full of fun as he was of

pluck, stretching out his hand to the injured party,



A Mishap at Almack's. 297

said, " Come, I see you are good fellows, so shake
hands. I had taken rather too much wine last
night." I need not say that the proffered hand
was accepted, and the French officers retired. After
their departure, Manners asked the servant what
fusil really meant, as, when naming the weapon to
be used, he supposed it to be a kind of pistol.

The Bold Wife of a Kash Husband. — About
thirty years back a bet was made in Paris by the
Comte de Chatauvillard, that he would ride a
horse which no groom would venture to mount be-
cause of its vicious propensities. The animal in
question had been allowed to remain idle for several
months, without having ever been touched by any
one during all that time ; for it was fed through a
hole in a neighbouring stall, and watered and lit-
tered in a similar manner. As the time approached
for the conditions of the bet to be carried out, great
excitement prevailed in the clubs with regard to it,
especially among those skilled in horsemanship, and
a wager of 20,000 francs was jointly laid by several
gentlemen against the Count. Information was,
however, conveyed to the Count's wife, an Irish
lady by birth, and foreseeing the danger her husband
would inevitably incur, she armed herself with a
brace of pistols, entered the stable, and placing one
of them to the horse's head, fired. The animal
reared and fell dead, the lady exclaiming, " Thank
God, I have done my duty ! "

A Mishap at Almack's. — Among the many
droll incidents which occurred at those elegant balls
at Almack's, I recollect one which created much



298 A Mishap at Almacks.

amusement among those who witnessed it, at the
expense of the person whose name I am about to
mention. The late Lord Graves, who was extremely
fat, but who danced well for his size, engaged the
beautiful Lady Harriet Butler one evening as his
partner in a quadrille. Her Ladyship had just
arrived from Paris, where she had been brought up
under the auspices of Josephine, and having received
lessons in dancing from the celebrated Vestris
she electrified the English with the graceful ease
with which she made her entrechats ; so much so,
that a circle was generally formed to admire her
dancing. Lord Graves, desirous of doing his
utmost to please his fair partner, ventured on imi-
tating the lady's entrechat; but in making the
attempt, he unluckily fell heavily on the floor.
Nothing daunted, however, he got on his legs again
and finished the quadrille as well as he could ; when
his friends hastened to sympathise with him. But
Sir John Burke, in a sarcastic manner said, " What
could have induced you, at your age and in your
state, to make so great a fool of yourself as to
attempt an entrechat f" Lord Graves not relish-
ing the manner in which the Baronet had addressed
him, replied, " If you think I am too old to dance,
I consider myself not too old to blow your brains
out for your impertinence ; so the sooner you find
a second the better." Lord Sefton, who overheard
the conversation, said, " Tut tut tut, man, the sooner
you shake hands the better ; for the fact is, the
world will condemn you both if you fight on such
slight grounds : and you, Graves, wont have a leg
to stand on." This sensible remark led to the
parties shaking hands, and thus the matter dropped.



Sir Astley Cooper. 299

Sir Astley Cooper. — I recollect meeting this
celebrated surgeon in South Wales about thirty
years back, when on a visit to some of his friends.
I had only returned the day before from Paris, and
Sir Astley was very inquisitive about everything I
had seen there. He eulogised the French surgeons,
but objected to the means employed after amputa-
tion ; for instead of giving beafsteaks, port wine,
and other stimulants, the French surgeons recom-
mended lemonade and tisanes, whereby eight
patients out of ten died, whereas by the English
system only two succumbed out of ten. Neverthe-
less, he spoke of Dupuytren in the most enthusias-
tic terms, and acknowledged him to be the most
skilful surgeon in Europe. I asked him his opinion
of French cookery ; he replied, " It suits the French ;
but it would never do in England ; for our men
require animal food twice a-day, and porter ; but
the French, from their birth, live upon fruit and
vegetables, and their meat is boiled down to rags ;
this is, however, congenial to their stomachs, and
proves that digestion begins in the kitchen."

Our great surgeon perceiving that I was fond of
smoking, cautioned me against that habit, telling
me it would sooner or later be the cause of my death.
If Sir Astley were now alive he would find every-
body with a cigar in his mouth : men smoke now-a-
days whilst they are occupied in working or hunting,
riding in carriages, or otherwise employed. During
the experience of a long life, however, I never knew
but one person to whom it was said that smoking
was the cause of his death : he was the son of an
Irish earl, and an attache at our Embassy in Paris.
But, alas, I have known thousands who have been



300 The Bishop of Exeter and his Son.

carried off owing to their love of the bottle ; ay,
some of the noblest and famous men in our land,
splendid in youth, strength, and agility. I regret
to add, I have met with refined ladies, too, who
never went to bed without a little brandy "to drive
away the colic."

Lady Holland and " the Bridge." — When
Holland House was the rendezvous of all that was
great and illustrious, a gentleman, well-known on
account of his literary attainments, requested per-
mission from its noble hostess to introduce a friend
of his, who had just written a novel, which had
been well received by the public. Lady Holland,
ever happy to do a good-natured act, said, " You
may bring him here to-night." The gentleman
and his friend accordingly made their appearance
that very evening, and were graciously received.
On the following day, the introducer called on her
ladyship to thank her for the honour she had con-
ferred upon his friend, when she observed, " I can't
say much for his good looks, for it was impossible
for me to get over the bridge." " What bridge, my
Lady 1 " " Why, the broken bridge of his nose,
which has made him the ugliest man I ever saw."
" Oh, madam, allow me to state that he was born
with that unfortunate defect." " More 's the pity,
sir ; and I conjure you never bring any more of
your friends to Holland House who are not blessed
with bridges to their noses."



tr



The Bishop of Exeter and his Son. — The
Bishop of Exeter, in the course of conversation at a
dinner party, mentioned that many years since,



Lord Deerhurst {afterwards Lord Coventry.) 301

while trout-fishing, he lost his watch and chain,
which he supposed had been pulled from his pocket
by the bough of a tree. Sometime afterwards, when
staying in the same neighbourhood, he took a stroll
by the side of the river, and came to the secluded
spot where he supposed he had lost his valuables,
and there, to his surprise and delight, he found
them under a bush. The anecdote vouched for by
the word of a bishop astonished the company ; but
this was changed to amusement by his son's in-
quiring, whether the watch, when found, was going.
" No," replied the bishop ; " the wonder was that
it was not gone."

Lord Deerhurst, (afterwards Lord Coven-
try.) — Persons are still living wdio remember this
nobleman hastening down Piccadilly after some
pretty girl or other. Lord Deerhurst was distin-
guished for his good looks and manly bearing ;
but he always seemed in a hurry : his habits
and appearance were in other respects singular,
though they did not lessen the respect his rank and
abilities deservedly commanded. His wit was pro-
verbial : in short, such were his talents in society,
that he was considered a match for Alvanley.
Another good trait in his character was the atten-
tion he paid to Lord Coventry, who was blind.

His marriage proved a very unhappy one. After
living some time with his wife on very bad terms,
a separation ensued, which caused him great misery.
I recollect, after this occurrence, seeing a letter
dated from his father's place in Worcestershire, in
which he said, " Here I am at leisure, free to in-
dulge in my grief, and to correct those errors that



302 Mr Neeld.



have brought upon me so much mental suffering."
He never completely recovered, and contrived to
kill time by travelling from London to his seat in
Worcestershire and back, once a week. Before his
death poor Deerhurst became excessively irritable,
and subsequently insane. He recovered his reason
slightly, but died shortly after, attended only by a
few trusty servants.

I recollect dining at Madame Vestris's pretty house
in St John's Wood, in company with him, Lords Al-
vanley and Foley, and Tom Duncombe. Deerhurst
was the life and soul of the party ; and although
there was, of course, a little sparring between him and
Alvanley, he was " cock of the walk." He was then
in good health and spirits, and conversed easily, and
without appearing conscious that he was delighting
us all with his witty sayings. Of all the dinners
I have been present at, I recollect this as being the
most pleasant ; it might be called a dinner of
dandies, as most of those present belonged to
White's, and led the beau monde at that period.
Of Madame Vestris I can only say, that I never
knew any lady more perfectly natural and agree-
able in manner and conversation, and she did the
honours of her house in admirable style.

Mr Neeld. — Lord Alvanley having been invited
to dine in Grosvenor Square, at the house of Mr
Neeld, the heir to Mr Kundell the wealthy gold-
smith, was, previous to sitting down to table, shown
some fine pictures which hung on the walls of the
drawing-room, together with many articles of virtu
that crowded the apartment ; the host praising
and describing each, and stating the cost, in by



Mrs Beaumont. 303



no means a well-bred manner. One would have
thought that the inflicti&n would have been dis-
continued on entering the dining-room ; but, on
the guests being seated, Mr Neeld began excusing
himself for not having a haunch of venison for
dinner, and assured his guests that a very fine
haunch of Welsh mutton had been prepared for
them. He then returned to his favourite topic,
and began praising the room in which they were
dining, and the furniture ; he had got to the gild-
ing, which he assured his guests had been done by
French artists at an enormous expense, when the
mutton made its appearance. Lord Alvanley, who
had been intensely bored, exclaimed, " I care not
what your gilding cost ; but, what is more to the
purpose, I am most anxious to make a trial of your
carving, Mr Neeld, for I am excessively hungry >
and should like to attack the representative of the
haunch of venison."

The nouveau riche, though rather astonished by
this remark, was obliged to let it pass without
notice ; his anxiety to form a circle of aristocratic
acquaintances preventing his taking offence at any-
thing said by such a person as his Lordship.

Mrs Beaumont. — There are probably many per-
sons who remember this lady. She was reported
to have been of low origin, but inheriting vast
estates in the north, and having married a colonel
of militia, who became member for the county
where her large estates lay, she became one of the
leaders of the fashionable world in 1812. From
that time to 1820, it was impossible, during the
London season, to walk from St James's Street to



304 Mrs Beaumont.



Hyde Park at a certain hour in the afternoon,
without seeing her and her daughters in her large
yellow landau. Her style of living was most luxu-
rious and full of ostentation. Her preference of a
nobleman before a gentleman of no title was shown
in a manner that was perfectly ridiculous, and
evinced a great want of good sense and tact. Her
fetes were thronged with, the grand monde, and
her system of excluding all but persons of rank
amused the fashionable world even men of talent
and good family rarely got the entree of her saloons.

This recalls to my mind a rather ludicrous inci-
dent. Through the kindness of the Duchess of
Marlborough, I was present at one of Mrs Beau-
mont's balls, and this led to my being invited to
the rest of them during the season. In fine, I be-
came a constant visitor at her house in Portman
Square, till one day I ventured to • ask for an invi-
tation for a friend of mine, a distinguished officer
in the Guards, good-looking, and in every respect
fit company for the best saloons. I was of course
asked what was his rank ; and on my replying
that he was a captain in the regiment in which I
had the honour to serve, Mrs Beaumont exclaimed,
" I want no more captains at my balls : you should
consider yourself lucky in getting an invitation." I
bowed and took my leave , and, reflecting on the
injustice I had done Mrs Beaumont in presuming
to appear at her assemblies, I never again perpe-
trated the offence.

Mrs Beaumont had three sons, two of whom died
insane ; the other sorely wounded her pride by
marrying Miss Atkinson, the daughter of a hatter.
When his mother died he succeeded to her large



Windsor Castle in 1819. 305



property, and this somewhat turned his head. Like
all parvenus, he was ambitious of being raised to
the peerage ; but he threw away the only chance
he had, by quarrelling with the only great man
likely to forward his views — the celebrated Lord
Grey. Mr Wentworth Beaumont fought a duel
with the late Lord Durham, and had to pay his
second an annuity for life, — why or wherefore no
one could tell. The issue of his marriage was a
son, of whom he was very proud. Soon after the
birth of his heir, poor Beaumont became in a mea-
sure insane ; but there was method (or satire) in
his madness, for in his last moments he ejaculated,
" I cannot say that I have lived for nothing, for my
son, besides inheriting my vast fortune, will become
the ' Due de Feltre.' "

In spite of all the anxiety and trouble Mrs Beau-
mont had taken in bringing up her daughters, in the
hope of their marrying men of exalted rank, she had
the mortification of knowing that they had married
men of low origin in Italy

Windsor Castle in 1819.- — While on duty with
my regiment at Windsor in the summer of 1819, I
received an invitation to dine at the Equerries' table
at the Castle, or the " Queen's House," as it was then
called, on which occasion I met Lord Liverpool, the
Prime Minister, the Archbishop of York, Dr Baillie,
SirH. Halford, Dr Heberden, and the "mad Doctor"
Willis. These personages had come from London,
in virtue of their office, to inquire after the health
of the King. I must confess to a feeling of aversion,
and even horror, at being placed next the "mad
Doctor" at table. He was sallow, ill-looking, and

u



306 Windsor Castle in 1819.



indeed had a most forbidding countenance. He
was dressed in black, with silk breeches, white neck-
cloth, and frill. However, my feelings were soon
calmed ; for, although he never spoke, he seemed to
enjoy his dinner, eating and drinking as much as
any two persons at table. Dr Baillie was evidently
a great favourite with the Prime Minister and
Archbishop. The equerries present were Generals
Garth and Gwynne, both fine gentlemen of the old
school, in powder and pigtails.

I once saw George III. walking with his favourite
son, the Duke of York, with whom he talked inces-
santly, repeating his, " Yes, yes, yes, Frederick," in his
usual loud voice. His beard was of unusual length,
and he stooped very much. He wore the Windsor
uniform, with a large cocked hat, something like that
with which Frederick the Great is usually represented.
The doctors walked behind the King, which seemed
greatly to annoy him, as he was constantly looking
round. It was said, and I believe with truth, that
the poor King could not hear Dr Willis's name
spoken without shuddering. H. E. H. the Duke of
Cumberland frequently visited his Eoyal parents,
with his beautiful wife, whose figure at that time
was such as few women could boast of.

I cannot pass by an event which caused some
scandal at the time. The Duke of Cumberland, on
his visits to Windsor, was generally accompanied
by his aide-de-camp, Colonel Disney. One day,
on the occasion of the Duke's recovery from the
wounds received in resisting the murderous attack
of his valet, H. K. H. arrived at the castle to pay
his respects to his Eoyal parents ; when, finding
that the Queen was walking on the terrace, he has-



A Shoulder of Mutton a la Soubise. 3 0?

tened to join her Majesty, desiring Colonel Disney
to remain in waiting. The Colonel, who was a hare-
brained, half-cracked sort of a fellow, finding wait-
ing rather irksome, commenced making a tour
through the apartments, and in his peregrinations
entered her Majesty's bed-chamber, which was
rightly held to be sacred ground. Curiosity led
him to inspect the various toilet articles of the
queen, and still further to examine a golden vase,
which he put to a use that cannot be named to ears
polite. This breach of good manners was detected
by the royal housekeeper, the Hon. Miss Town-
shend, who, with tears in her eyes, reported to the
Duke of Cumberland the gross impropriety His
Eoyal Highness, a proud overbearing man, sought out
Disney, and attempted to inflict summary chastise-
ment for the insult he had perpetrated ; however,
the Colonel evaded the punishment so richly de-
served, but he was almost immediately placed on
the shelf, and died at his lodgings, in Bury Street,
St James's, heart-broken, on the second anniversary
of his thoughtless freak.

A Shoulder of Mutton a la Soubise. — When
George IV passed through Carmarthenshire on his
return from Ireland, he remained a day and night
at Dynevor Castle, the seat of the nobleman of that
name. His Lordship, desirous of entertaining his
Majesty in a befitting manner, asked Sir Benjamin
Bloomfield what particular dish the King preferred.
Sir Benjamin replied, that his Majesty was very
fond of a shoulder of mutton boiled with "sauce
soubise." Lord D. sent word to that effect to the
cook, who full of vanity and self-conceit, like the



308 Attempt to Assassinate the Prince- Regent.

majority of Welshmen, did not deign to make the
inquiry as to what a " sauce soubise " meant. The
consequence was that Taffy got into a scrape, for
when the shoulder appeared on the dinner-table, the
King observing it, said that he had never seen a
shoulder of mutton covered with currant-jelly, in-
stead of onion sauce. The Welch cook was called,
and Lord Dynevor asked him what could have in-
duced him to make such an egregious mistake. He
replied, that he thought the gentleman (meaning the
king) would prefer sweet sauce to that ordered by
his Lordship.

Attempt to Assassinate the Peince Regent. —
An attempt was made to assassinate the Prince
Regent Avhen on his way home from the Houses of
Parliament in 1819 ; but it happily failed. In the
park, opposite Marlborough House, a bullet was
fired from an air-gun by a man concealed in one
of the trees, who escaped. This occurred when I
was on duty at the Horse Guard's, marching across
the park with what was commonly called the
" Tilt Guard," and I remember it was anything but
pleasant to get through the mob of blackguards
who were ripe for mischief. The Life Guards, who
escorted the Prince Regent, evinced great want of
energy on the occasion. The officer commanding
the troop, when he saw the danger, should have com-
manded his men to charge and clear the way. Such
was my opinion then ; and I am persuaded, from all
that I have witnessed abroad since, that the wisest
plan upon such occasions, is to take the initiative and
act promptly- The fact of this attempt having been
made, was doubted at the time by the public at



Coronation of George IV 30.9

large, but I can speak from my personal knowledge
that a shot was fired, and i* was aimed at the royal
carriage.

Coronation of George IV. — At this gorgeous
solemnity it fell to my lot to be on guard on the
platform along which the royal procession had to
pass, in order to reach the Abbey. The crowd that
had congregated in this locality exceeded anything
I had ever before seen : struggling, fighting, shriek-
ing, and laughing, were the order of the day among
this motley assemblage. Little Townsend, the chief
police officer of Bow Street, with his flaxen wig and
broad-brimmed hat, was to be seen hurrying from one
end of the platform to the other, assuming immense
importance. On the approach of the cortege you
heard this officious person, "dressed with a little
brief authority," hallooing with all his. might,
" Gentlemen and ladies, take care of your pockets,
for you are surrounded by thieves ; " and hearty
laughter responded to Mr Townsend's salutary
advice.

When the procession was seen to approach, and
the royal canopy came in sight, those below the plat-
form were straining with all their might to get a
peep at the Sovereign, and the confusion at this
moment can be better imagined than described.
The pick-pockets, of course, had availed themselves
of the confusion, and in the twinkling of an eye
there were more watches and purses snatched from
the pockets of his majesty's loyal subjects than per-
haps on any previous occasion.

Amidst the crowd a respectable gentleman from
the Principality hallooed out in his provincial tongue,



310 George IV. and Bishop Porteous.

" Mr Townsend, Mr Townsend, I have been robbed of
my gold watch and purse, containing all my money.
What am I to do % what am I to do to get home \ I
have come two hundred miles to see this sight, and
instead of receiving satisfaction or hospitality, I am
robbed by those cut-throats called ' the swell mob/ "
This eloquent speech had a very different effect
upon the mob than the poor Welshman had reason
to expect ; for all of a sudden the refrain of the
song of " Sweet Home " was shouted by a thousand
voices ; and the mob bawled out, " Go back to your
goats, my good fellow." The indignities that were
heaped upon this unfortunate gentleman during
the royal procession, and his appearance after the
King had passed, created pity in the minds of all
honest persons who witnessed this disgusting scene :
his hat was beaten over his eyes, and his coat,
neckcloth, &c, were torn off" his body. For there
were no police in those days ; and with the excep-
tion of a few constables and some soldiers, there
was no force to prevent the metropolis from being
burnt to the ground, if it had pleased the mob to
have set it on fire.

George IV and Bishop Porteous. — Lord
Brougham, the late lamented Thackeray, and others,
have been very severe in their censures on the
character of George IV My readers will perhaps
be interested in hearing the following : — Some few
years before the death of the King, Dr Porteous, then
Bishop of London, having heard that his Majesty
had appointed a review of the Household Troops to
take place on a Sunday, ordered his carriage, though
he was in a precarious state of health, and waited



Latter Days of George IV. 311

upon his Majesty at Carlton House. The Bishop
was most graciously received, and proceeded to say,
"I am come to warn your Majesty of the awful
consequences of your breaking the Sabbath, by
holding a review on that day which the Almighty
has hallowed and set apart for Himself." The King
upon this burst into tears, and fell on his knees
before the Bishop, who bestowed upon his Majesty
his blessing. The King then assured Dr Porteous
that no review should take place on the Sabbath
during his life. Bishop Porteous then left the royal
presence never more to return ; for on arriving at
his residence he took to his bed, and died shortly
afterwards. The King was so deeply afflicted at
the news that, on hearing it, he retired into his
own apartments and was heard to sob as one in
deep affliction.

Latter Days of George IV — For some months
prior to his death, the King abstained from eating
animal food, and lived on vegetables and pastry, for
which he had a great liking. His conduct, from
being that of a sensual, greedy old man, became that
of a spoilt child ; and the way he spent his time
was frivolous in the extreme. He was very fond of
punch, made from a recipe by his matt re d'hdtel,
Mr Maddison, and which he drank after dinner ; this
was the only time he was agreeable, and on these
occasions he would sing songs, relate anecdotes of
his youth, and play on the violoncello : afterwards
going to bed in a " comfortable " state. But a
nervous disorder which affected him prevented his
sleeping well, and he invariably rose in the morn-
ing in the most unamiable of tempers. Poor man,



312 Colonel the Honourable ti IStankope.

he was greatly to be pitied; for he was surrounded
by a set of harpies, only intent on what they could
get out of him, among the most prominent of whom

was Lady C , the " English Pompadour." Sir

Benjamin Bloomfield was not a favourite with this
lady, and, at the first opportunity she found, she
caused the King to give him his dismissal ; replacing
him by a tool of her own, Sir William Knighton.

Death axd Funeral of the Duke of York. —
I perfectly recollect the sorrow felt in London at
the death of the Duke of York, and the splendid
funereal honours paid to him. The royal Duke died
after three or four weeks suffering from dropsy, in
his sixty-fourth year. His administration at the
Horse Guards will long be held in remembrance, as
beneficial in the highest degree to the British
soldier ; and such was his popularity, that ministers,
statesmen, and general officers followed his remains
to the grave. I recollect my late lamented friend,
John Scott, telling me that his father, Lord Eldon,
spoilt a new hat by placing it on the ground and
putting his feet into it to keep them warm , for it
was intensely cold weather at the time, and the
funeral took place at night. It is certain that a
great many persons who took part in the procession
caught severe colds from their not having suffi-
ciently wrapped themselves up ; and among them
was Mr Canning, who never entirely recovered : he
died the same year, in the room at Chiswick where
Charles James Fox breathed his last.

Colonel the Honourable H. Stanhope. — ISText
to the death of the Duke of York, there was no



Sir Robert Peel's Hat. 313

event which pained the Grenadier Guards so much
as the untimely death of the Honourable Colonel
Stanhope. He had seen much service ; served as
aide-de-camp to Sir John Moore and to Lord Lyne-
doch, and distinguished himself greatly at Waterloo.
He was the only one of the staff accompanying the
Duke of Wellington when the Duke took refuge in
our square from the enemy's cavalry, as related in
my first volume.

The sensation the death of Colonel Stanhope
created in the public mind was partly due to the
melancholy circumstance of his suicide. He had never
recovered from the effects of a gun-shot wound he had
received at the siege of St Sebastian, and under the
combined influences of pain and nervous depression,
he hanged himself in Caen Wood, the property of
his father-in-law, the Earl of Mansfield. Besides his
merits as a soldier, Colonel Stanhope was a most
accomplished scholar and gentleman. In his youth
he lived with his uncle, Mr Pitt, the great minister,
and he entered the army at the age of sixteen.

Sir Kobert Peel's Hat. — A Welsh Baronet and
M.P. entered the shop of Lock & Lincoln, in St
James's Street to purchase a hat. The foreman
could not find one sufficiently large for the Baronet's
head, and stated that he only knew one person
whose head was so large. " Who is that person 1 "
asked the indignant Welshman. The foreman re-
plied, " It is no other than the great minister, Sir
Eobert Peel." "Oh ! oh ! " exclaimed Taffy, " you
make hats for that Eadical, do you % Well, then, it
shall never be said that you have sold me a hat. I
have a horror of such men as your great ministers."



314 Lady Normanby's Ball.

And the Baronet left the shop in dudgeon, much to
the wonder and astonishment of the hatter.

An Irish Welcome. — During Sir Eobert Peel's
administration, Lord St Germains, who had been
absent from his post on a visit to London, on re-
turning to Dublin as Viceroy, was greeted at the
railway station by some one in the crowd shouting,
" Tis glad we are to see your Honour back again
amongst us ! " This compliment having been grace-
fully acknowledged by a bow from his Lordship, the
same voice was heard making the delicate inquiry,
" But has your Honour taken a return ticket V — a
witty allusion to the instability of the ministry at
the time, and a significant qualification of the ori-
ginal greeting.

The Prince de Poix. — During the reign of
Charles X., the soldiers on duty at the garden
gates of the Tuileries received strict orders to
allow no one to enter. One clay, however, a person
of distinguished mien endeavoured to pass by one
of the sentinels, who told him to go back, at the
same time stating the orders that had been issued.
" But," replied the intruder, " do you know who I
am 1 I am the Prince de Poix, aide-de-camp to
the King." " Eh, sacre ! " was the answer of the
soldier, " quand vous seriez le roi des haricots, vous
ne passeriez pas."

Lady Normanby's Ball at the British Em-
bassy, Paris. — Lady Normanby once gave a bril-
liant fete in honour of the Duke and Duchess
d'Aumale, In the entrance hall of the Embassy



Louis Philippe's Sons at a Masked Ball 31 5

were ranged twelve footmen in splendid liveries ;
the landing was a bosquet of rose trees, flowers
filled the drawing-rooms, and enormous jardinieres
were placed in every direction ; the garden walks
were covered with carpets, and furnished with sofas,
and a gorgeous marquee for dancing was erected in
the garden. The company was composed of the
elite of society, and the most beautiful women Eng-
land could boast of were present ; much to the
chagrin of the Parisians, whose admiration of the
Englishwomen was intense, but mixed with envy.
The supper was exquisite ; and as there were not
seats enough for all the company at once, it was
arranged that none but ladies should sit, and con-
sequently the men stood behind their partners
during the repast. Notwithstanding this arrange-
ment, our Ambassadress observed a noble marquis
seated in conversation with a person with whom
she was unacquainted. She asked somebody to
inquire the stranger's name, &c, and the noble
Lord replied, " I don't know him ; but no doubt
he is acquainted with Lady Normanby, or he
would not be here/' Her Ladyship having re-
ceived this answer, stated that she had never seen
him before, and requested the master of the cere-
monies to demand his name. He accordingly ac-
costed the intruder, who gave his card, on which was
incribed "The Baron Deldique." It was, however,
subsequently discovered that this man was an impos-
tor, and in the habit of attending balls without being
known to either the host or any of the company-
Louis Philippe's Sons at a Masked Ball. — I
witnessed a strange sight at one of the masked



316 Count Talleyrand Perigord's Theatricals.

balls at the opera in Paris. A young man of her-
culean strength had intruded himself among a
party of dancers in a quadrille, and laid violent
hands on a young lady already engaged. The
gentlemen of the party new to the rescue, and for
a few minutes all was confusion. ; but four or five of
the secret police presently appeared on the scene,
and arrested the cause of the disturbance. I was
surprised to observe that none of the other persons
engaged in the disturbance were molested, but al-
lowed to dance as if nothing had occurred, and on
quitting the ball I determined to unravel the secret.
After some trouble, I found that the party was com-
posed of the sons of Louis Philippe and some of
their friends, who were completely metamorphosed
by the aid of false wigs, &c.

On my mentioning the circumstance to a friend
of rniue, Count D , he said that they often dis-
guised themselves, and appeared thus in public; and
that one day during the preceding summer, after
dining with them at Chantilly, the Duke de Nemours
proposed a stroll, and taking out of his pocket his
false wig and whiskers, said, " You, sir, have no occa-
sion to disguise yourself ; but as it fell to my lot
to be the son of a king, I am obliged to have re-
course to disguise and strategy from momma; till
night."

Count Talleyrand Purigoex/s Private Thea-
tricals. — Among the many ludicrous incidents
that occurred during the reign of Louis XVIII. , I
recollect the following : — The Count Talleyrand Peri-
gord having been appointed Ambassador — or, more
properly speaking, minister — at Berne, determined



Talleyrand's Opinion of Wellington. 317



to amuse his friends with theatrical representations ;
accordingly his dining-room was arranged with
side-scenes, drop-scenes, and all the stage requisites,
and he invited the dignitaries of Berne to witness
the opening of his little theatre. The Count in-
tended to have represented the part of a miller, and
therefore ordered his valet de chambre to take off
his coat, and to bring him some flour from the kit-
chen, with which to cover himself in a manner that
would make the disguise appear natural. The
valet obeyed his master's instructions to the letter,
and, begging the Count to shut his eyes and remain
motionless during the operation, the servant emptied
the contents of a box of flour over his master's
head. At that moment a courier arrived with the
news that the Emperor Napoleon had disembarked
at Fregus. This intelligence excited the diplomate
to that degree that he flew out of the house, with
the intention of calling upon the English minister
to know whether he had received any tidings of the
kind. The strange appearance in the streets of the
Count covered with flour, occasioned a commotion
in the quiet town of Berne. Men, women, and
children followed the French minister, crying out,
" Take care of him, for he is mad." In a word, it
was with difficulty he got back to his hotel, where
he found the company assembled and waiting for
the performance which had been promised; but, alas!
the nerves of the Count were so terribly disturbed
that he relinquished the idea of enacting the part
of the miller.

Prince Talleykand's Opinion op the Duke of
Wellington. — There are some personages who seem



318 Talleyrand's Opinion of Wellington.

to gain, and others who lose, dignity and import-
ance, when the achievements by which they acquired
honours and fame are recorded in biography. The
name of Wellington, by universal consent, heads
the list of military commanders : he is not more
distinguished for his military genius than for his
sagacity and judgment. The late Prince Talleyrand,
being at a dinner in London, soon after the French
Eevolution in 1830, was asked his opinion of the
Duke of Wellington. The Prince replied : — " First,
I must tell you that when the Duke of Wellington
came to Paris in 1814 as English Ambassador, I
was then Minister of Foreign Affairs. The skill the
Duke displayed as a diplomatist was astonishing.
He never indulged in that parade of mystification
which is generally employed by ambassadors :
watchfulness, prudence, and experience of human
nature, were the only means he employed ; and it
is not surprising that, by the use of these simple
agencies, he acquired great influence over those with
whom he was brought into contact.

" When the Emperor Napoleon returned from
Elba, the Duke went to Vienna, where we (that is,
the ambassadors and ministers of nearly every
court of Eiirope) had been congregated for the last
six months. On the Duke's arrival, his first ques-
tion was, ' What have you done, gentlemen 1 '
Prince Metternich replied, ' Nothing ; absolutely
nothing/ The Duke listened to what every one
had to say, with his usual unassuming and non-
chalant air ; but it was evident that, while he
seemed astounded at times at what he heard, he
was exercising his great powers of observation and
reflection. Determined not to lose a moment, he



Mots of Talleyrand. 319



put his shoulders to the wheel, and the machinery,
which had before moved so slowly, was at once put
in rapid motion : in the incredibly short period of
three days everything was arranged and finished, to
the wonder and satisfaction of all his colleagues.

"After the battle of Waterloo, the illustrious
Duke returned to Paris, where he had frequent
opportunities of communicating with me, and, on
the return of the King, I occupied my old post,
that of Minister for Foreign Affairs. I was then
more than ever convinced that the man who had
fathomed the designs of all the cabinets of Europe
was an extraordinary statesman. I discovered that,
while others found everything impracticable which
was proposed to them, Wellington appeared never
to discover a difficulty In a Avord, gentlemen, if
we consider him in all his relations, public and
private, it can safely be said that the Duke of Wel-
lington is the greatest man that England, or any
other country, ever produced."

Mots of Talleyhand. — General Count de Gir-
ardin had a most ugly squint, and was extremely
inquisitive. Upon one occasion, he asked Talley-
rand, " Comment vont les affairs, Prince ?" " Comme
vous voyez, General , tout de travers. 1 '

Fontaine, the architect, who built the triumphal
arch in the Carrousel, placed upon it an empty car,
drawn by the famous bronze Venetian horses.
Talleyrand asked him, " Qui avez vous Vintention de
rnettre dans le char?" The answer was, " L'JSm-
pereur Napoleon, comme de raison," upon which
Talleyrand said, " Le char Vattend."

General Flahault, who when young was bald,



320 The Prince de Ligne.



had received an invitation to dine with the Prince
de Talleyrand. In the course of conversation, he
expressed to the Prince a desire to present some-
thing rare to a great lady as a mark of his
esteem. Talleyrand replied, " Then present her
with a lock of your hair."

The Emperor Nicholas at the Hague. — On
the occasion of the late Emperor of Russia's last visit
to England, he returned home via the Hague, for
the purpose of paying a visit to his relative the
King of Holland. During the few clays the_ Czar
remained there, a levee was held by the King, in
order that his Imperial Majesty might have an
opportunity of seeing the flower of the Dutch aris-
tocracy Among those present, the Emperor singled
out a remarkably tall but well-built man, who was
considered the handsomest fellow in Holland, the
Baron Capelli, whose right arm had been amputated,
owing: to a wound received in a duel. The Em-
peror, little imagining how the limb had been lost,
approached the Baron, and inquired in what battle
he had had the misfortune of losing his arm. " I
lost it in a duel, your Majesty," was the cool
reply The Emperor, without a word, turned upon
his heel, and said afterwards to one of his friends.
" It is a pity so fine a fellow should have been sacri-
ficed : he had better have been killed in battle."

The Prince de Ligne. — I had the honour of
being invited by the Prince de Ligne to his country
seat, Bel' (Eil, one of the most magnificent mansions
I ever saw. In looking over the old portraits of
this princely family, the Prince jocularly observed,



The Prince de Ligne. 321

<: You have few old families in England : in other
words, your nobility are mostly of modern date ;
but no one will contest that you have no Lords, for
they are created by every minister who holds the
helm."

Speaking of the manners we English indulge in
towards foreigners, the Prince told me the folio win a-
anecdote — " I was sent by the King of the Belgians
to London, as Ambassador Extraordinary, to con-
gratulate your Queen on her accession to the throne.
During the period of my sojourn at your Court,
diplomatic dinners were given daily It happened,
that upon one occasion I was asked a question as to
the state of the Belgian army, when a noble Lord,
a ci-devant ambassador, without the slightest pro-
vocation, made a very offensive remark to me. I
instantly left the dinner-table to consult a friend
as to what steps ought to be taken to resent the
insult offered ; but, after thinking the matter over,
it was considered the act of a madman, and there-
fore, to prevent scandal, and the creation of a bad
feeling between the English and the Belgians, the
affair was allowed to drop."

It is much to be regretted that we English are
even now in the habit of regarding all foreigners in
an unfavourable light. The vulgar brag that any
John Bull is a match for three Frenchmen, and
other extravagances of a similar description, are
becoming obsolete ; but English tourists are still
apt to disparage foreigners, and entertain the notion
that when we set foot on the Continent, a system of
cheating and extortion commences. These and simi-
lar prejudices, arising from ignorance of the language
and usages of foreign nations, naturally create a

x



322 The Emperor's Extra Equerry.

bad feeling towards England and Englishmen.
Foreigners say, and not without justice, that we
are pre-eminently self-conceited, boastful, and proud.

Pride of a Spanish Grandee. — The Marquis of
St Jago, a young Grandee of Spain, was at one time
the theme of conversation in Paris, owing to his
eccentric habits and the dissolute manner in which
he lived. Although well born, and sufficiently edu-
cated to be selected to accompany the Spanish
Ambassador to England on the occasion of our
gracious Queen's Coronation, he possessed an un-
paralleled fondness for dissipation, and an extensive
acquaintance with the class of flatterers. Moreover,
an absurd idea as to his pretensions to rank induced
him to wear the ribbon of the French Cross of the
Legion of Honour, and although " chaffed " about it,
he continued to do so ; until one day, at the Jockey
Club, some one present flatly told him that he had no
right whatever to the decoration then in his button-
hole : which was true. This public rebuke proved
such a stunning blow to the pride of St Jago, that
he returned to Madrid broken-hearted, and died
there at the early age of thirty -

The Emperor's Extra Equerry. — Some persons
will have perceived with surprise that an English-
man, moving in good society, should have consented
to receive the appointment of extra Equerry to the
Emperor of the French. The occasion of his being
installed into that office was as follows. — The
gentleman in question had, when at Eome, shown
some civility to Prince Louis Napoleon. The
gossip of the day ran, that on the Prince's elevation



The Duke of Wellington and Lord Strangford. 323

to the purple, some one meeting our countryman
coming out of the imperial stables, recommended
him to ask for General Fleury's post, as he was
better qualified for an equerry than that gallant
General. Our countryman, taking the hint,
promptly solicited an audience of the Emperor,
which being granted, he coolly made the surprising
application that had been suggested to him. The
Emperor endeavoured blandly to silence the aspi-
rant to stable honours, by reminding him that he
was an Englishman ; but added, " If, sir, you are
really in earnest, I will name you one of my extra
equerries." And this offer was gratefully accepted
by the gentleman in question. Tempora mutanter!

The Duke op Wellington and Lord Strang-
ford. — Not long before the death of the Duke of
Wellington, the late Lord Strangford, on his return
from Paris, was invited by the Duke to pass a few
days at Walmer Castle. His Grace inquired whether,
during his sojourn in the French capital, he had
seen Lord Hertford ; upon which Lord Strangford
replied he belonged to the same club, where they
frequently met. "Ah!" added the Duke, "Lord
Hertford is a man of extraordinary talents. He de-
serves to be classed among those men who possess
transcendent abilities. What a pity it is that he
does not live more in England, and occupy his place
in the House of Lords. It was only the other day,"
added the Duke, "that Sir Eobert Peel observed,
when speaking of Hertford, that he was a man
of great comprehension ; not only versed in the
sciences, but able to animate his mass of knowledge
by a bright and active imagination. In a word, if



324 Canrobert Reviewing the British Army.

he had lived in London, instead of frittering away
his time in Paris, he would have no doubt become
Prime Minister of England."

Marshal Magnan's Opinion of British Sol-

s

diers. — Soon after the Coiq? dEtat, it fell to my
lot to hear Marshal Magnan state, in the presence
of several persons who expressed a doubt of the
efficiency of the British army, that he had been in
the Peninsula in 1813 and 1814, and in eleven
battles, but never saw the back of the British
soldier. This announcement, on the part of a
Frenchman high in command, who had seen real
service, completely silenced his garrulous country-
men.

Marshal Canrobert Keviewing the British
Army. — At Compiegne, some two or three years
back, Marshal Canrobert related a fact which re-
dounded to his credit. At a review of the British
army in the Crimea, the Duke of Cambridge, who
was to have inspected the troops, observing the
French Marshal approaching with his staff, re-
quested him to assist, and to take the right ; where-
upon the Marshal acquiesced. When they came to
the drooping of the colours, Canrobert's blood
thrilled in his veins at seeing; the names of several
of our victories over the French ; however, having
undertaken the task of reviewing our troops, he
accomplished the arduous and painful duty im-
posed upon him, and went clown the line without
evincing the slightest emotion. When he related
this incident there were several general officers
present, some of whom ventured to expostulate.



An Act of Charity. 325

The Marshal said, " There is no use in expostulating
and endeavouring to conceal the fact ; but those
victories inscribed upon the colours were won by
the British troops against us."

A Heady Retort. — C. de M -, one of the most

fashionable, at the same time one of the cleverest,
young men of the Restoration, had the singular
taste of beino- in love with two ladies each old enough
to be his mother. The one a duchess, the other a
celebrated actress. When the Duchesse de Berri
asked him whether it was really true that his taste
was for old women, he replied, " Old, Madame, je
suis I'homme du siecle."

An Act of Charity. — Not many years back, on
a cold winter's day, an eccentric Baronet was in the
shop of Mr Mitchell in Bond Street, where a few
friends of his used to congregate to pick up the news
of the day On this occasion, the Baronet was boasting

of his munificence, when in came Colonel de B

of the Guards, and addressing him said, " My dear

S -, I have just left our poor friend, Jack S , in

a spunging-house without a shilling in his pocket to
pay for a mutton chop." " Is it possible 1 ? '"' exclaimed
our eccentric friend. " I will go and order something
for the poor fellow which shall make his heart glad."
And saying this he jumped into his cab, which was

waiting at the door. Colonel de B lost no time

in calling on the poor debtor, and told him he was in

luck, as S had promised to do something for him.

In a short time our charitable Baronet arrived at
the spunging-house, bringing — not the good things
that a man needs in such a predicament — but a



326 Madame Alboni.



pottle of strawberries, which he boasted he had
given two sovereigns for !

Madame Alboni. — About twelve years ao-o the
inimitable Alboni, having finished her engagement at
the Theatre des Italiens, Paris, entered into one with
the manager of the Opera at Nantes, to sing there and
at the watering-places adjacent. She left Paris dressed,
as usual, in male attire, accompanied by a lady who
passed as the wife. During the first week after their
arrival at Nantes, they lived in furnished lodgings
on the Place Royale, and thought of nothing but
the piano and their scales ; the incomparable singer
attracting the other occupants of the house to the
landing place, ever and anon, by the power of her
splendid voice. One day, something occurred which
created a misunderstanding between Alboni and her
friend : from high and violent words they came to
blows, and a neat " back hander " of Alboni's on the
other's nose caused blood to flow. The injured lady
ran down stairs, and implored the porter to go for
a surgeon ; but the man, alarmed for the respecta-
bility of the house, instead of obeying, went to the
police and informed them what had occurred. On
his returning with two policemen, Alboni and her
friend were found in hysterics ; nevertheless, they
were hurried off, more dead than alive, to the police
office.

When the Commissary began to interrogate the
lady with the bloody nose as to the origin of their
quarrel and other particulars, Alboni stepped for-
ward, and addressing the man in authority, ex-
plained that they began to quarrel about a note in
a song in " La Gazza Ladra," which opera was to be



The Derby of 1 865 and French Racing. 327

given that evening. The Commissary, wondering
what it all meant, asked their names, which were
given by the ladies, and Alboni implored him to
release them with as little delay as possible, as she
had scarcely time left to dress for the theatre. The
Commissary took the ladies by the hand, and con-
ducted them to the door, saying that he was ex-
tremely sorry that his agents had acted in so pre-
cipitate a manner as to bring through the public
streets two ladies of such standing, without first
ascertaining that there were good reasons for their
being arrested. Alboni bowed, and said she hoped
to see the officer that night on the stage. The
invitation was readily accepted ; and. when the
vocalist perceived him at the conclusion of the
opera, she flung her arms round his neck, to the
astonishment of all present.

The Derby of 1865 and French Racing —
The victory gained on the 31st May 1865, on
Epsom Downs, by what is technically known as
the " French stable," is a proof what good blood,
careful training, and good living, under the super-
intendence of English trainers and stable-boys and
-\ " captain " like Grimshaw, can do for such a spe-
cimen of horseflesh as " Gladiateur ;" whose preten-
sions to being French consist in just this, that his
sire was born in France, together with his dam :
but their pedigrees run through the very purest
blood of English racehorses. His owner, the Comte
de Lagrange, well deserves the success which has
crowned his perseverance in turf matters.

Unfortunately, the French will not understand
what sport really is, in the generally received ac-



328 The Derby of 1865 and French Racing.

ceptation of the term in England. At a French
race, nine-tenths of the men go there merely be-
cause it is fashionable, and because it is a more ex-
citing way of killing time than sitting in a club
reading the newspapers ; and as for the women, it is
an opportunity for showing off a " fast," but, be it
confessed, a becoming toilet, and thus becomes an
attraction irresistible to a Frenchwoman. Of the
true spirit of the affair the French comprehend not
one iota.

Since the introduction of racing into France by
Sir Charles Smith, — when the races run in the
Champs de Mars were more often won by the
mounted police, who accompanied the horses from
the start to the finish, than by the beautiful speci-
mens of " thorough- bred s" that were then imported,
— the breeding of " blood stock" has occupied the
attention of many Frenchmen, and has been at-
tended with no small success ; for not only have
our neighbours procured from us our purest bred
stallions and mares, but they have secured the ser-
vices of English trainers and jockeys : upon whom
they will have to depend for many, many years to
come.



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